Fear of Personal Death: The Effects of Sex and Religious Belief

Abstract

The fear of personal death can be expressed in a variety of ways according to the different aspects of death. The present study employed a multidimensional method of measurement to investigate differences in fear of personal death between religious and nonreligious men and women. The sample consisted of 225 high school students studying in state religious and nonreligious schools. The findings indicated significant and simple interactive effects of sex and religious belief. Young women feared factors such as loss of identity and self-annihilation, while young men showed more fear in factors of consequences to family and friends and punishment in the hereafter. Religious persons' fear of personal death stemmed mainly from fear of punishment in the hearafter and consequences to family and friends. These results were explained according to differences in sex role socialization and in the male and female emphasis on the family that is taught by Judaism.