Avoidance of the Ontological Confrontation of Death and a Phenomenological Encounter with a Simulated Death Atmosphere

Abstract

A field-setting was designed to simulate a death atmosphere in which to explore differences between an avoidance versus a confrontation approach to death. Scores for 44 individuals on the Thauberger Avoidance of Ontological Confrontation of Death Scale were used to identify “avoiders” and “confronters” as well as were correlated with attitude scores and a behavior rating with respect to a phenomenological encounter of a field-setting with a coffin. The predictive validity coefficients were of respectable magnitude. A number of comparisons between high and low scorers on the Avoidance of Ontological Confrontation of Death were made, and some differences in the phenomenological approaches between “avoiders” and “confronters” to the field-setting were noted and discussed.