Tested Bugen's Coping with Death Scale. Individuals who had written wills, planned estates and funerals, and signed organ donor cards scored higher on the Coping with Death Scale. Because Coping with Death scores were more consistently different in those who prepared for death, this scale may help in efforts to predict those who will engage in…

Administered measures of overt and covert fear of death to 20 healthy men and 13 men diagnosed with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Groups did not differ significantly on overt measure; AIDS group had higher total scores on covert measure. Findings suggest that one's life trajectory is redefined when the diagnosis of terminal illness…

Results suggest that individuals enrolled in a death education seminar can acquire and/or enhance a variety of coping capacities in regard to self and others. Exposure to a full array of experiential and didactic components appears to be necessary. (Author)

Two groups of students were compared as to their death related experiences. Students in the Sociology of Death class reported more deaths of friends and relatives over two five-year periods and more work experiences in death-related settings than students in the control group. (Author)

Studied whether memories of deceased play active roles in ongoing lives of survivors. Seventy-one people described a significant death. Four roles were reliably identified and labeled role model, situation specific guidance, values clarification, and remembrance formation. Role adoption was predicted by closeness of relationship and suddenness of…