Death Attitudes across the Life-Span: The Development and Validation of the Death Attitude Profile (DAP)
Abstract
Four orthogonal factors were identified by principal component factor analysis: Fear of Death/Dying, Approach-Oriented Death Acceptance, Escape-Oriented Death Acceptance, and Neutral Death Acceptance. Theta estimates of the internal consistency of the factor scales ranged from fair (.60) to good (.89). An elderly sample ( n = 50) showed less fear of death and more acceptance (all three kinds of acceptance) than the middle age ( n = 50) and the young ( n = 50) samples. As predicted, Fear of Death/Dying was negatively related to happiness, but positively related to hopelessness, whereas Escape-Oriented Death Acceptance was positively related to hopelessness, thus providing some evidence of concurrent validity of the DAP.
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Escape-Oriented Death Acceptance indicates a low level of wellbeing and hopelessness.
“Escape-Oriented Death Acceptance indicates a low level of wellbeing and hopelessness.”
From For whom the bell tolls: The fear of death and the ways to become less afraid of it (2024) · cites this paper as [21]
Neutral Acceptance may motivate individuals to make their lives meaningful and be 'here and now', but may also lead to doubt about the meaning of life, which is not conducive to psychological wellbeing.
“As for Neutral Acceptance, it, on the one hand, may motivate individuals to make their lives meaningful, to be 'here and now', on the other hand, perception of ourselves as creatures who come to this world for a moment and are doomed to die may lead to doubt about the meaning of life, which is not conducive to psychological wellbeing [21].”
From For whom the bell tolls: The fear of death and the ways to become less afraid of it (2024) · cites this paper as [21]
Approach-Oriented Death Acceptance ought to be positively related to happiness, optimism, and hopefulness.
“Approach-Oriented Death Acceptance ought to be positively related to happiness, optimism and hopefulness”
From For whom the bell tolls: The fear of death and the ways to become less afraid of it (2024) · cites this paper as [21]
All types of death acceptance help reduce the level of death anxiety.
“Although all types of death acceptance help reduce the level of death anxiety”
From For whom the bell tolls: The fear of death and the ways to become less afraid of it (2024) · cites this paper as [21]
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References 47 · Cited by 269
- Authors
- Gesser, G., Wong, P. T. P., & Reker, G. T.
- Affiliations
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Trent University (CA)
- ORCID
- Wong, Paul T. P.
- Venue
- OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 1988-03
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 113-128
- ISSN
- 0030-2228 (ISSN-L)
- 1541-3764
- OpenAlex
- W1995853080
- Cited by
- 269
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 2.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (publishedVersion)
- DigitalGeorgetown (Georgetown University Library) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Death, Funerary Practices, and Mourning
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Keywords
- attitudes toward death, fear of death, death acceptance, lifespan development, hopelessness, happiness, older adults, middle age (human life stage), young adults, scale validation
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