Children and Death: New Horizons in Theory and Measurement

Abstract

Recent research in the area of children and death is reviewed in this article, focusing on the two broad domains of childrens' death concept development and children and bereavement. The kinds of psychometric instrumentation used in current projects within these areas is then reviewed. These instruments can be broadly classified as structured interview formats (standardized and unstandardized), paper and pencil formats (standardized and unstandardized), and phenomenographic methodology. The bulk of research in the field has relied upon structured interview formats. The Development of Death Concept Questionnaire and the Derry Death Concept Scale are the two standardized structured interview formats that are reviewed, along with a number of unstandardized structured interview formats. The Mourning Behavior Checklist and the Child Behavior Checklist are the two standardized paper and pencil formats that are reviewed, along with a number of unstandardized paper and pencil formats. A relatively new phenomenographic approach developed by Wenestam and Wass is also reviewed. This discussion is then used as a background for the secondary purpose of this article, which is to bring attention to the area of children and death anxiety as a new frontier for theoretical and psychometric investigation.