Death anxiety: “State” or “trait”?

Abstract

Investigated relative effects of hypnosis, alpha biofeedback, prestige suggestion, and silence in attenuating experimentally induced increases in death anxiety. Forty female undergraduate Ss at Louisiana State University were tested on four measures of death anxiety: "Emotional" associations to "death" words, association response latencies to "death" vs. "neutral" words, Death Anxiety Scale, and Death Concern Scale. Ss then were assigned to four treatments: (1) Hypnosis, with anxiolytic post-hypnotic relaxation suggestions; (2) Nonhypnotic anxiolytic prestige suggestions; (3) EEG alphacontingent biofeedback; and (4) a 15-minute waiting period. After treatments, Ss viewed a tape-slide presentation that emphasized personal death and overestimated its probability from various causes. Ss then were retested on death anxiety measures, forms of which were counterbalanced within groups. Analysis of variance (at .05 and .01 confidence levels) failed to differentiate groups on either increases or decreases of death anxiety. It was concluded that death anxiety may be a "trait" as opposed to a "state" phenomenon.

Comparison of the Relationship Between Death Anxiety and Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms Among Norwegian and Turkish Female Psychology Students

“…Each of the subscales includes 20 items. Death anxiety was associated more with trait rather than state anxiety in several studies and findings from these studies suggested that death anxiety may be a trait in contrast to a state phenomenon (e.g., Abdel-Khalek, 1986; Abdel-Khalek & Omar, 1988; Gilliland & Templer, 1986; Pettigrew & Dawson, 1979). Therefore, in this study, only the trait anxiety subscale was used.…”

The Neurotherapy of Anxiety Disorders

“…The minimum duration of EEG-biofeedback training required for efficacy is unclear. Five hours have been suggested (Hardt & Kamiya, 1978), yet shorter periods have been Garrett (1976) 18 + Some at end 4 hr + Garrett (1976) Alpha 10 + − + + Alpha + EMG 10 + − + + Chisholm (1977) 12 + + − + Pettigrew (1979) 10 + NA − − Holmes et al (1980) Alpha with 11 + + − − instructions Alpha without 11 + + − − instructions Tyson (1996) Crying 5 effective (Pressner & Savitsky, 1977;Valle & DeGood, 1977;Lehrer, 1978;Chisholm et al, 1977;Tyson, 1996;Plotkin & Rice, 1981;Rice et al, 1993;Garrett & Silver, 1976). Five hours have also been suggested as the minimum required to distinguish between learners and nonlearners (Glueck & Stroebel, 1975).…”

“…There was a reduction of heart rate in all groups, but reached significance in the music group only. Pettigrew and Dawson (1979) selected 40 female undergraduates free of severe psychopathology or recent severe trauma, such as the death of a loved one, for a study of death anxiety. Groups of 10 received one session of hypnosis, alpha contingent feedback, prestige suggestion, or silence to attenuate death anxiety.…”

The Construction of the Multidimensional Orientation Toward Dying and Death Inventory (Moddi-F)

“…(h) The various components of the orientation toward dying and death are dispositions (traits) and therefore stable over situations or time. As far as fear is concerned empirical data support this assumption (Gilliland & Templer, 198571986;Littlefield & Fleming, 198471985;Pettigrew & Dawson, 1979;Testa, 1981). (i) In line with Spielberger's (1966Spielberger's ( , 1975 State-Trait theory of anxiety, it is assumed that fearful arousal at an encounter with dying and death on one hand and a certain calmness on the other hand are to a certain degree dependent on the intensity of the corresponding traits.…”