Death Anxiety as a Predictor of Mood Change in Response to a death Stimulus

Abstract

It was hypothesized that the level of death anxiety prior to a death stimulus predicts mood change in response to the stimulus. Participants (N = 52) in the study initially completed the Templer Death Anxiety Scale and the Mood Scale. The participants were then shown three videotapes: a neutral videotape, a videotape depicting death scenes, and another neutral videotape. Before and after each videotape, the participants completed the Mood Scale. The initial level of death anxiety was a significant (p < .05) predictor of changes in, and overall levels of, depression and general anxiety. This finding supports the view that the causal connection between death anxiety and mood is bidirectional. It also gives rise to the speculation that death anxiety may predict mood in nonexperimental, i.e., “real-life” situations.