An Exploratory Study of Death Anxiety and Trainees' Choice of Theoretical Orientation

Abstract

This study investigated the association between therapist-trainees' death anxiety and their preference for "objective" (i.e., quantitative and rational) over "subjective" (i.e., experiential and symbolic) theoretical orientations. In this correlational investigation, 303 clinical psychology and counseling trainees at a Midwestern school of professional psychology completed instruments assessing their fear of personal death and their endorsement of superordinate dimensions of psychotherapy orientations. As hypothesized, trainees who reported higher levels of death anxiety displayed a stronger preference for objective over subjective orientations, a relationship that was found in post-hoc analyses to be particularly salient for male trainees. These findings suggest that trainees' death anxiety, and their attempts to control it, could influence their choice of a theoretical orientation. Potential implications for training institutions are discussed.

Suicidality: An existential phenomenon.

“…This is consistent with terror management theory, which proposes that humans seek order, stability, and predictability to reduce their death anxiety (Belviso & Gaubatz, 2013). High levels of death anxiety can lead individuals to prefer more rational and intellectual approaches (Belviso & Gaubatz, 2013), which could lead to a therapist experiencing greater comfort in assessing for risk with suicidal clients, rather than with the psychotherapeutic work that may come after this assessment.…”

“…Interestingly, therapists in training who experienced higher levels of death anxiety were found to prefer objective (such as cognitive behavioral therapy), rather than subjective (such as existential humanistic), theoretical orientations, maybe as an attempt to control their death anxiety (Belviso & Gaubatz, 2013). This is consistent with terror management theory, which proposes that humans seek order, stability, and predictability to reduce their death anxiety (Belviso & Gaubatz, 2013). High levels of death anxiety can lead individuals to prefer more rational and intellectual approaches (Belviso & Gaubatz, 2013), which could lead to a therapist experiencing greater comfort in assessing for risk with suicidal clients, rather than with the psychotherapeutic work that may come after this assessment.…”

“…Yalom (1980) proposed that all individuals experience death anxiety. Interestingly, therapists in training who experienced higher levels of death anxiety were found to prefer objective (such as cognitive behavioral therapy), rather than subjective (such as existential humanistic), theoretical orientations, maybe as an attempt to control their death anxiety (Belviso & Gaubatz, 2013). This is consistent with terror management theory, which proposes that humans seek order, stability, and predictability to reduce their death anxiety (Belviso & Gaubatz, 2013).…”