Abstract
This study investigated whether or not the assumption of responsibility for one's health through knowledge of the Simonton methodology would reduce death anxiety to a greater degree than would the acceptance of death through the Kubler-Ross concepts. Female nursing students were randomly chosen and divided into one of two experientially designed workships of 14 hours in duration. The lowering of death anxiety was assessed by a pretest/posttest design with the Death Anxiety Scale, and State-Trait Anxiety Scale. The Personal Orientation Inventory and Semantic Differential Scale (Life and Death) were used as covariates. Results indicated that death anxiety and trait anxiety scores obtained by the Simonton trained group were lower than the scores of the Kubler-Ross trained group. The variables accounting for the greatest variance were: pre-death anxiety (.26 percent); existentiality (from POI, .15 percent) and treatment (.09 percent). The increased value of the Simonton training approach for reduction of death anxiety in student nurses was statistically established; however, further research is indicated to better identify additional variables contributing to the degree of effectiveness of treatment methods in reducing death anxiety.
Rainosek, Jackalyn (1984). Two methods of confronting responsibility in death anxiety with nursing student personnel. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -565323.