Perception of Death among University Students: Contributions of the Terror Management Theory

Abstract

Death has been understood as a process influenced by situational, contextual and cultural factors, having important implications on individuals’ life at behavioral and emotional levels. Using as theoretical framework the Terror Management Theory, this study analyzed the perception that university students have of death. Participants were 101 university students from two higher education institutions in João Pessoa (PB, Brazil). They answered the projective test of attitudes about life and demographic questions. Performing a hierarchical ascending classification (HAC) analysis, three distinct classes were identified: 1) Temporal and cognitive aspects, 2) Transcendent conceptions of death, and 3) Emotional aspects. The results demonstrate that, in face of thoughts on death, people try to protect themselves from the fears caused by such thoughts by seeking to reinforce beliefs that perpetuate their own existence. These findings reinforce Terror Management Theory assumptions, showing evidence of the organization of the conscious and unconscious defense mechanisms in facing the fear of death.

Keywords:
Perception; Death; University Students; Terror Management Theory