what is an attitude?
a way of presenting oneself to or being in the world
how do attitudes influence encounters?
attitudes help to shape and form our knowledge of what is happening
- we contribute to our experiences through prior beliefs and feelings
research about Death anxiety
- measure various forms of death anxiety
- determine influential/non-influential variables
- comparing different population groups
assumptions of death anxiety research
- death anxiety exists
- individuals will be both willing and able to disclose their death anxieties
- adequate instruments and methodologies available for identification and measurement
who has higher death anxiety?
- women or men
- older or younger
- firmly believe/disbelieve religion or unsure
women
younger
unsure
terror management theory says what produces anxiety ab death
the ability for human to become aware that they will die
four categories of attitude that cause anxiety
my own dying
my own death
what will happen to me after death
the dying, death, or bereavement of someone else
my own dying
- fears and anxieties
- preferences
- a long, difficult, painful, or undignified death
- in an alien institution
- under care of strangers who don’t know my wishes
- without time to address unfinished business
- without distress or prior knowledge
- in my sleep
- after my affairs in order
my own death ?
do I welcome death?
- relief from suffering
- rejection of heroic measures
do I resist death?
- fight the loss of life
- employ measures to postpone death
what will happen to me after my death?
- anxiety ab the unknown
- fear of judgement and punishment
- anticipation and hope for heavenly rewards
- a bridge or passage to another life
the dying, death, and bereavement of someone else
will I be strong enough to help them cope what will I do when their gone will I feel relief am I a burden what will happen to my loved ones what about my unfinished plans
two major implications with death related attitudes
- variation in death-related attitudes
2. influence over death related attitudes (humans have ability to change attitudes)
5 dominant western social and cultural attitudes toward death
- Tame Death
- Death of the Self
- Remote and imminent death
- death of the other
- death denied-forbidden
Tame death
death is familiar simple inevitable
death is a public or social event
attention is focused on the community’s loss
the afterlife is not threatening bc death is seen as a kind of sleep
Death of the self
the dying person is now seen as a separate individual (than society)
death produces great anxiety for the dying person
Death involves a final testing period
one’s actions determine what will happen after death
before death a patron saint and devil struggle final judgement
remote and imminent death
death is viewed as natural event, so it is imminent
death is viewed as dangerous and frightening, which is why it is remote
death of the other
romanticized view of death
death involves a breaking of relationships
death is a period of waiting for reunion with loved ones
death denied/forbidden death
dying are isolated in institutions
death isn’t natural (intervention measures forestall death and prolong life)
pause for only a brief funeral period
emotions are suppressed, concealed
death is unnatural, forbidden, indecent
critical role of attitudes of the Amish of North America
- death is not feared
- acceptance of one’s own death is valued
- dying is part of family life cycle
- death rituals are conducted by family and involve the community
critical role of attitudes of the puritans of 17th century New England
- death and final damnation are terrifying prospects
- concerns about salvation and high child mortality may strain parent/child relationships (compared to the amish)
- death rites evolved to include rituals familiar to many today
