The Value of the Self in Relation to Fear of Death

Abstract

A theoretical position on death anxiety advanced by previous authors was tested in this study. Diggory and Rothman reasoned that we try to extend objects that are valued highly, while those of low value are treated with indifference or destroyed. They therefore theorized that individuals who place a high value on the self would be more afraid of death. This was tested by correlating the Templer death anxiety scale with seven self-related measures. The participants in the study were 117 college students. The death anxiety scale was found to correlate significantly with self-related measures, but in the opposite direction from what was expected on the basis of the theory. The seven self-related measures were found to overlap extensively. The results do not support the theory, and were discussed in terms of a neuroticism factor and Frankl's “will to meaning.”