Death Threat,Religiosity, and Fear of Death: A Repertory Grid Investigation

Personal construct methodologies in the study of death threat have been limited by the use of death-specific constructs as well as global measures of other variables. To address these shortcomings, 40 males completed the 40-construct provided form of the Threat Index (Tip), an interpersonal repertory grid ORG), and multifaceted scales of religiosity and death concern. Death threat scores derived from the Tip and repertory grid correlated only moderately. Significant negative correlations were found between death threat and different components of religiosity, particularly when IRG measures of death threat were used. In keeping with past research, death threat also correlated significantly with fear of death subscales that particularly focus on the self (as opposed to the death of others). The implications of these results for future work in the area of death threat were discussed.