Interviewed chronically ill persons who died within months of the interview, chronically ill persons who did not die, and healthy persons who did not die. Revealed characteristic pattern of reactions among persons who later died, which included little uncertainty or expressed anger but much depression, guilt, and fear of bodily damage, together…

It was hypothesized that depressives would rate death-related events as more aversive than control groups. Ratings of aversiveness were obtained from depressed patients. Results indicated death-related events do not have a special valence for depressed individuals. Rather, depressives manifest a general tendency towards evaluating potential…

Operationalized Lifton's constructs of symbolic immortality and developed instrument to measure individual's needs for symbolic immortality in Lifton's five modes (biological, religious, nature, creative, experiential) in study which also examined age effects on needs for symbolic immortality and relation between sensation seeking and symbolic…

Identifies and discusses altruism as a basic trait of human character and behavior and explores its possible implications for the dying person. Observable in hospitals and literary-aesthetic representations, altruism is a part of the infinite variety of humanity's perceptions, activities, and experiences that make up the mosaic of life and death.…

After imagining themselves aging and dying, 10 individuals evaluated their fantasy experience objectively and 10 individuals attended to their feelings about their fantasy. Compared to the objective group subjects, subjects in the affective group had lower scores on Purpose in Life Scale and on rated meaningfulness of activities. No differences…

This study investigated reactions to the death of a similar or dissimilar person. Results of a viewing time measure indicated that people spent less time viewing the victim's pictures when he was dead and similar. The limitations of the paradigm were discussed. (Author)

This study investigated the effect of marital roles by comparing sex differences in death anxiety scores of married persons with and without children, and of single persons. Marital status was not significantly related to death anxiety. (Author)

Death anxiety did not appear to be related to any of a number of demographic and personal variables which might have been expected to be correlates. It was, however, found to be associated with reports of personal reactions and preferences in a situation directly related to death--funerals. (Author)

Interviewed 11 families who had experienced the death of a family member to identify symptomatic behavior of children's anniversary reaction to the death and to differentiate normal, predictable reactions from pathological ones. Results showed that children often experience anniversary reactions which involve remembering rather than reliving. (NRB)

Compared the dream themes of terminally ill cancer patients (N=14) with the dream themes of aged persons (N=42). Death and aggression occurred significantly more often in the dreams of the dying. Death themes also frequently appeared as a projection upon other dream characters. (Author/JAC)

The author hypothesizes that death anxiety varies with social status and age as well as structural variables and personality traits. Results indicate structural variables predict certain types of death anxiety as well as personality factors. Personality is a somewhat better predictor of death fear and reluctance to interact. (Author)

Examined relationship between multiple role involvements and adjustment to conjugal bereavement in surviving spouses (N=49). Data indicated a significant positive correlation between number of roles reported and adjustment score. The self-report behavioral measure of role involvements was a better predictor of adjustment than was sex, age, elapsed…

Interviewed 24 persons who had lost loved ones to suicide within last five years to examine psychological and social experience of suicide survivors. Findings suggest that survivors face complex problems of emotional, personal, and social adjustment requiring further attention by researchers and practitioners. (Author/NB)

Investigated attitudes of bereaved individuals toward selected funeral practices. Correlated sex, closeness to deceased, and religious preference to timing of the death, viewing at funeral home and location of funeral service. Found closeness of relationship to deceased emerged as a significant variable in assessing attitudes toward certain…

Compared suicide notes of individuals using active and passive methods for suicide for presence of 50 classifications regarding psychodynamics of perturbation, lethality, relations, self-cognitions, etc. Two sets of notes resembled each other closely, only difference being that active group more often cited rejection by significant other as…