Personal meanings of death in relation to fear of death

Abstract

This study assessed death meanings and death fears held by 2 age groups of adults, related the death meanings to fear of death, and determined whether death meanings and fear of death depended on age and gender. Study participants were 265 college students (aged 19 to 55). Factor analysis of participant responses to 30 death-meaning items identified 3 dimensions of death meanings: Extinction, Afterlife, and Legacy. Hierarchical regression analyses determined the combined effect of the 3 death-meaning dimensions on each of 8 Leming Fear of Death Scale (LFDS) subscales, after effects of gender and age group were accounted for. Younger respondents and women had greater fear of death on certain subscales. Extinction was a significant predictor (p less than .05) of 7 LFDS subscores, Afterlife predicted 4 subscores, and legacy predicted 2 subscores.