Midterm 1 Material Flashcards
What is the study of death called?
thanatology
How is death defined?
“Irreversable loss of circulation, respiration and/or brain function”
Other cultures may have different definitions though
What was Freud’s take on death?
We have “life instincts” (Eros/libido)
and “death instincts” (Thanatos/Mordito)
What is the Paradox of Mortality?
We are hardwired to survive and also to die
Despite being hardwired to die, our own mortality causes a lot of anxiety
What did psychoanalysis get right about death?
That death anxiety can be both conscious and unconscious
How does the understanding of death develop in children aged 3 and 5?
Nonfunctionality is nonfunctional, but death is not seen as final or universal
early childhood is marked by “Magical thinking” about death
What is magical thinking? How does it apply to children’s understanding of death?
That one’s own thoughts and feelings influence the rest of the world
Children believe that they are responsible for tragic events that they experience
How do children aged 5-10 understand death?
they begin to understand that death is final and eventually, universal
Understanding of Irreversibility and universality emerge, with some understanding of causality
How do people understand death from the ages of 10-16?
it is not until this phase that universality is fully understood
more complex and abstract understanding of death
What is the causality sub-concept of death?
that there are internal and external factors that can lead to someone’s death
What is the applicability sub-concept of death?
That some things can die and some things cannot
What is the universality sub-concept of death?
That everyone will eventually die
What is the nonfunctionality sub-concept of death?
that something that is dead cannot function or interact with anything
What is the irreversibility sub-concept of death?
That once someone is dead, they cannot be alive again
What are some ways that children develop their understanding of death?
- Direct experiences with death
- parental communication about death
- portrayals of death in media and the arts
How did 6 year old children understand death as applied to Plants and Animals?
They understand that the concepts of death also apply to plants amd animals, but not objects.
- Death was more often seen as final and universal in animals than plants
- The death of a flower seen as more final than the death of a weed
What is seen in the understanding of death in adulthood?
More sophisticated understanding of the biological reality of death
this often coexists with a belief in the afterlife for the mind or soul
Do children/ young adults think about the possibility of dying often? Why/why not?
No, very little thought is given
this is because they project their death to be so far into the future that it has very little reality
average child disbelieves very strongly that it will die
What is Mortality Salience?
The awareness that one’s death is inevitable
How does mortality salience change throughout life?
it increases with age
What is Thanatophobia?
The clinical fear of death
What is necrophobia?
The fear of dead or dying persons and/or things
What does death anxiety play a significant role in?
The number of mental disorders from PTSD and Depression to OCD and depression
What are the 4 factors that play a role in death anxiety?
- Death is seen as a radical transformation and separation
- Death is understood as the annihilation of the self
- Death is a threat to the realization of life’s basic goals and propensities
- Death is a threat to the meaningfulness of life
what feeling is death anxiety associated with?
the feeling of being at the mercy of external forces beyond one’s control
What are some factors that affect the degree of death anxiety that one feels?
- Age/gender
- religiosity
- mental health
- reduced sense of control
- pessimism
- lack of meaning in life, low self esteem
- lack of purpose in life, regret
What is the relationship between mortality salience and death anxiety in older adults?
Greater mortality salience, less death anxiety
Greater mortality salience does not always lead to death anxiety
How does death anxiety differ between younger and older adults?
Young adults: more fear of the state of death
Older Adults: more likely to fear the dying process
Can death anxiety increase again in older adults?
Yes, this tends to occur in adults 80+. living in nursing homes
How does death anxiety differ in men and women?
Women often report greater death anxiety than men
- Second spike in the 50’s
- by age 60, concern over mortality between men and women is essentially the same
- Menopause could possibly explain this
What ways can people cope with death?
Some deny it, divert it or displace it
- may do what religion tells them to do
- might seek endless wealth or power
Other’s self actualize their lives with meaning and purpose
Some Overcome it entirely in creativity and connection
others “refuse the loan of life to avoid the debt of death”
What are the two routes presented in terror management theory?
When presented to a threat to our mortality…
- We deny the threat/try to prolong life
- Proximal defenses; occur when thoughts of death are conscious - Adhere more strongly to our world views and defend self esteem
- distal defenses
What are ways in which increasing mortality salience can affect human behavior?
- more positive self bias
- greater defense of one’s country, culture, views, values
- more conservative views on life
- more discriminatory views on life
- pursuit of a higher social class/status
How does death anxiety effect political views?
political views are typically reinforced after the loss of a loved one
- this affected conservatives more
Death anxiety tends to make people lean farther right than usual
Are there any positive effects to death reminders?
Could motivate people to…
build supportive relationships, improve their physical health, adopt more open minded and growth oriented behaviors.
prioritize positive goal setting and living up to positive standards and beliefs
What is mindfulness and how does it apply to mortality salience?
Definition: Non-judgmental observation of the present moment
Higher trait mindfulness is associated with less defensive responses to mortality salience
How does meditation affect responses to increased mortality salience?
Defensive responses were not found in those who meditated regularly and in Buddhist monks
Think: the Buddhist/meditation study
What is DTA and what does an increase in it lead to?
DTA: Death Thought Accessibility
First, people deny threats, which decreases DTA
Then, it rebounds, which leads to defense of one’s worldview and self-esteem
What is humility and how does it affect death anxiety?
Humility: characterized by a willingness to accept the self and life without comforting illusions. Also Characterized by low self-focus
Higher humility associated with reduced defensive responses to increased mortality salience
- Including: lower moral disengagement, reduced need for self enhancement
What is meaning management Theory?
The search for meaning is a primary motive; we are driven to make meaning in life
death anxiety is conquered through meaning
What is the meaning maintenance model?
similar to meaning management theory
adds that when people’s sense of meaning is threatened, they reaffirm alternative representations as a way to gain meaning
explains why people invest in their self esteem and other sources of meaning when presented with a threat
What did Wong and Tomer suggest what we should do to best manage thoughts and feelings regarding death?
Avoid death anxiety by reducing threats
approach life enhancing and meaning making goals
How do people who are close to facing death respond?
Near death cancer patients and death row inmates showed more positive responses in their blog posts/last words
