Exam 1 terms Flashcards
death
an irreversible loss of capacity for consciousness
senescene
the “wearing out” of organs as a result of carious aging processes
premature death
happens before age 70
paradox of mortality
hardwired to die and survive
-though death is a universal reality of being human, our mortality is also one of our greatest sources of anxiety
nonfunctionality
once something dies, all life-defining abilities (walking ,talking) cease
irreversibility
once physical body dies, cannot come back to life again
universality
all living things must eventually die
applicability
only living things can die
causality
certain things lead to/cause death
ages 3-5 understanding of death
limited, inaccurate
-understands nonfunctionality but not seen as final or universal
-magical thinking about death
ages 5-10 understanding of death
understand that death is final and universal
-pet death can help understanding
-causality often understood at this pt
ages 10-16 understanding of death
complex and abstract understanding of death
-universality & inevitability completely understood
main sources of childrens learning about death
direct experiences, parental communication, portrayal in media and arts
mortality salience
awareness/thinking of death
-increases with age
-children and young adults little mortality salience
thanatophobia
clinical fear of death
necrophobia
fear of dead/dying persons/things
4 common aspects of death anxiety
1) seen as a radical transformation & separation
2) understood as an annihilation of the self
3) threat to realization of life’s basic goals & properties
4) threat to the meaningfulness of life
factors affecting death anxiety
age, gender, marital status, occupation, socioeconomic status (higher class lower anxiety), religiosity, psychological state/heatlh, reduced sense of control, lack of meaning, low self esteem, lack of purpose, regrets, pessimism
age and mortality salience
older=more likely to think about death but less likely to fear
-death anxiety tends to increase in aged 80+ in nursing homes
-older adults more likely to fear dying process, younger adults more likely to fear death
which gender has greater death anxiety?
women
-depression more common in women?
-women second spike of death fear in 50s…menopause?more independence?
-by age 60, fear is equal among genders
terror management theory
death anxiety/fear of mortality are biggest motivators in life
-an unconscious motivation for the search for meaning
proximal defenses
when presented with the threat of death we deny the threat/try to prolong life
-when thoughts of death are conscious
distal defenses
when presented with the threat of death we adhere more strongly to our worldviews and defend our self esteem
-when thoughts of death are out of conscious awareness
meaning management theory
search for meaning is a primary motive (not fear of death); driven to make meaning in life
-thru meaning we overcome death anxiety
meaningful maintenance model
ppl have a need for meaning; driven to make meaning
-when sense of meaning is threatened, they reaffirm alternative representations as a way to regain meaning
death denial
ignoring or supressing the thought of death, including any associated anxiety
death acceptance
a giving in & realizing inevitability of death
approach-oriented death acceptance
ppl feel truly positive about death, may look forward to it’s occurence
escape-oriented death acceptance
ppl view end of life as welcome & as an escape from pain & suffering (MAID)
-rational drive, sometimes depression or despair
neutral death acceptance
accept inevitability of death, neither look forward or fear
fear of death sig lower in… (age)
older adults vs younger adults
approach oriented acceptance most highly correlated with wellbeing in (age)
older adults
neutral approach higher in (age) vs (age)
older adults vs younger adults
escape acceptance significantly higher in (age) vs (age)
older vs young/mid adults
kubler ross stages of dying
denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance
denial kubler ross
temp shock response in which the person does not believe/accept whats happening
anger kubler ross
feelings of frustration & resentment over whats happening
bargaining
brief (often shortest) stage involving irrational attempts to postpone death
depression
longest stage, some don’t move on
-feelings of sadness, despair, helplessness, grieving over one’s losses and impending death
reactive depression
past losses…jobs, hobbies, mobility
prepatory depression
losses to come…their future, family, realtionships
acceptance kubler ross
a ‘giving in’ and realizing of the inevitability of death, often neither happy noir sad, often void of feelings
living-dying interval model
1) acute phase: anxiety and fear at their peak
2) chronic living-dying phase: anxiety reduced; Qs about unknown asked; acceptance begins
3) terminal phase: imminent death is finally accepted; person withdraws emotional & socially
stages of death work
1) the psychological- preparing to meet one’s end & coming to terms with dying
2) the social: enabling oneself to help loved ones in preparation for their survival
achieveing an appropriate death
1) reduction of conflicts (inner and outer)
2) compatibility with ego ideal (being ideal version of yourself)
3) continuity of relationships preserved and restored
4) fulfillment of prevailing wishes
what is personal meaning
a sense of purpose, direction, order, reason for existence, desire to connect
edgework
behaviour that explores the limits of safety&convention, voluntary risk taking
near death experience
involve a variety of sensations reported by people who have died and been brought back to life & by people who have come close to death
common NDE expereinces
hearing someone pronounce them dead, seeing themselves and others from outside their bodies, feelings of peace, travelling thru tunnel, interacting with deceased loved ones, seeking review of their life, soming back into body. all more common among religious people
reminiscence
intentional & non intentional act of recollecting memories of oneself in the past
-most are positive, some are regret
life review
return of memories and past conflict at end of life; spontaneous or structured evaluation/reconciliation of one’s life
symbolic immortality
a sense of continuity or immorality thru symbolic means (biological, creative, transcendental, natural, experiential transcendence
generativity
a concern establishing the next generation vs stagnation
goal of meaning making
potential to reduce neg effect and boost post effect
-coping strategy
an existential vaccum
a state or crisis of meaninglessness
suicidal ideation
thinking about, considering or planning suicide
mourning
grieiving that conforms to social and cultural norms
anterior cingulate cortex
absense of elevated activity is why we cannot disengage in lost relevant stimulus
posterior cingulate cortex
autobiographical memory, recall of familiar voices/faces
higher activity = lots of time thinking about loved one
prefrontal cortex
expression of feelings, desires
-loss/grief/trauma I’mpacts emotional processing
survivors acceptance
accepting reality that loved one is physically gone and recognizing that this new reality is permanent
-learning to live w loss doesn’t mean being okay w the loss
4 stages of grief
shock & numbess, yearning & searching, despair & disorganization, recognition & recovery
dual process model
involves fluctuation btwn relationship w deceased (loss orientation) and alternate focus on everyday tasks & distractions (restoration orientation)
passways through grief
grief is open ended, cyclical, no end in sight, varies among individuals
common grief
no D, D 6m, no D 18m
chronic grief
no D, D6m, D18m
chronic depression
D, D6m, D18m
depressed improved
D declines
resilient
low D, low D6m, low D18m
widowhood effect
older ppl who have lost a spouse at higher risk of dying themselves
complicated grief
occurs when grieving process does not progress as expected
prolonged grief disorder
basically same as complicated grief but in the DSM5 as a diagnosis
cognitive restructuring
changing neg thoughts that underlie difficult emotions
evocative language
counsellor uses “tough words” to encourage greater acceptance of reality of loss
narriative therapy
writing can be used to help survivor express their feelings and thoughts more freely
memorialization activities
activities aimed at remembering and honouring deceased
continuing bonds
the presence of ongoing inner relationship with the deceased by the bereaved individual
