Death Education and Communication Apprehension regarding Dying Persons

Abstract

Death-related attitudinal changes in students enrolled in a Psychology of Death and Dying course were compared to those of students enrolled in Introduction to Psychology and Introductory Communication. Results indicated that communication apprehension regarding dying persons (CA-Dying) was more highly correlated with many death-related variables than was generalized communication apprehension (CA). In addition, those in the Death and Dying class were more death accepting, and more likely to covertly express fears about death and dying than those in the remaining classes. While death acceptance and unconscious fears of Pain/Injury/Disease increased among those in the Death and Dying class, such scores decreased over a three month period of time in the Introduction to Psychology and Introduction to Communication classes. These findings suggest that CA and CA-Dying are independent, and indicate that individuals' likelihood of interacting with dying persons is a factor in the reduction of death fears via death education. While didactic death education may not reduce death fears and/or associated anxieties, it may make the discussion of such concerns more permissible.