Desire for euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide in palliative cancer care.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the attitudes of terminally ill individuals toward the legalization of euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide (PAS) and to identify those who would personally desire such a death. DESIGN: In the Canadian National Palliative Care Survey, semistructured interviews were administered to 379 patients who were receiving palliative care for cancer. Patients who expressed a desire for physician-hastened death were followed prospectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Attitudes toward the legalization of euthanasia or PAS were determined, as was the personal interest in receiving a hastened death. Demographic and clinical characteristics were also recorded, including a 22-item structured interview of symptoms and concerns. RESULTS: There were 238 participants (62.8%) who believed that euthanasia and/or PAS should be legalized, and 151 (39.8%) who would consider making a future request for a physician-hastened death. However, only 22 (5.8%) reported that, if legally permissible, they would initiate such a request right away, in their current situations. This desire for hastened death was associated with lower religiosity (p=.010), reduced functional status (p=.024), a diagnosis of major depression (p<.001), and greater distress on 12 of 22 individual symptoms and concerns (p<.025). In follow-up interviews with 17 participants, 2 (11.8%) showed instability in their expressed desire. CONCLUSION: Among patients receiving palliative care for cancer, the desire to receive euthanasia or PAS is associated with religious beliefs; functional status; and physical, social, and psychological symptoms and concerns. Although this desire is sometimes transitory, once firmly established, it can be enduring.     

Choosing a Place of Death: The Influence of Pain and of Attitude Toward Death1

This experimental study sought to verify if factors like pain or attitude toward death can determine the choice of a place of death. Using a questionnaire developed from Triandis’(1980) theory, the influence of pain on the intention of choosing a place of death was measured among 138 respondents. “Attitude toward death,” used as a control variable, was measured by means of the Death Attitude Profile. Variance analyses (p < .008) demonstrated the influence of pain on intention of choosing a place of death and on the cognitive component. Linear regression (p .002) highlighted 2 determinants of intention of choosing a place of death: moral norm and social role. As for attitude toward death, it seems to have no influence on the choice of a place of death.     

Assessment of death attitudes: an empirical approach

The Threat Index and the Death Anxiety Scale were administered to 228 subjects. Based on the high/low criterion scores, 105 subjects were assigned to the following four groups: (a) high death threat/high death anxiety, (b) high death threat/low death anxiety, (c) low death threat/high death anxiety, and (d) low death threat/low death anxiety. During the experimental phase of the study, subjects viewed a filmstrip on death rituals in various cultures. A recall test was then administered. Results indicated no significant group differences on recall performance. Initial no-show rates for the second part of the experiment were observed in the four groups reflecting a significant negative relationship between death anxiety and initial no-show rates. The possibility of defensive responding on the Death Anxiety Scale was suggested.     

Death qualification and prejudice: the effect of implicit racism, sexism, and homophobia on capital defendants' right to due process

Two hundred venirepersons from the 12th Judicial Circuit in Bradenton, Florida completed the following measures: (1) one question that measured their level of support for the death penalty; (2) one question that categorized their death-qualification status; (3) 23 questions that measured their attitudes toward the death penalty (ATDP); (4) 22 questions that assessed their attitudes toward women (ATW); (5) 25 questions that measured their level of homophobia (H); (6) seven questions that assessed their level of modern racism (MR); (7) eight questions that measured their level of modern sexism (MS); and (8) standard demographic questions. Results indicated that as death-penalty support increased participants exhibited more positive attitudes toward the death penalty, more negative attitudes toward women, and higher levels of homophobia, modern racism, and modern sexism. Findings also suggested that death-qualified venirepersons exhibited more positive attitudes toward the death penalty and higher levels of homophobia, modern racism, and modern sexism. Finally, more positive attitudes toward the death penalty were correlated with more negative attitudes toward women and higher levels of homophobia, modern racism, and modern sexism. Legal implications are discussed.     

The Impact of Personality and Religion on Attitudes toward Alcohol among 16–18 Year Olds in Northern Ireland

Background: Previous research demonstrates a negative relationship between attitude toward alcohol and religiosity. However, what is less apparent is if this relationship may, at least in part, be a function of individual differences in personality, as previous research has demonstrated a relationship between certain measures of personality and both attitude toward alcohol and attitude toward religiosity. The aim of the present study was to explore the impact of personality and the relative efficacy of different markers of religiosity in predicting attitude toward alcohol among a sample of 16–18 year olds in Northern Ireland. Method: The Francis Scale of Attitude toward Alcohol (Francis, 1992c. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 31, 45–50) was administered alongside the Abbreviated Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (Francis, Brown, & Philipchalk, 1992. Personality and Individual Differences, 13(4), 443–449), the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity (Francis & Stubbs, 1987. Personality and Individual Differences, 8, 741–743) and measures of frequency of personal prayer and church attendance among a sample of 243 16- to 18-year-old sixth-form students in Northern Ireland. Results and conclusion: The data demonstrate that a more prohibitive attitude toward alcohol was correlated with lower psychoticism scores (tendermindedness) and a more positive attitude toward Christianity. Multiple-regression analyses confirm the importance of attitude toward religion in predicting individual differences in attitude toward alcohol.     

Parental Behavior and Vocational Choice: A Comparison of Counselors and Engineers

This study compared the perceived parental behavior characteristics of 41 counselors in training and 33 fifth-year engineering students in a test of a part of Roe's vocational choice theory, which suggests dichotomous pattern of vocational choice: “toward persons” (e.g., counseling) or “toward nonpersons” (e.g., engineering) categories that will have been determined by the nature of the early childhood socialization process. In essence, a person who has experienced a warm loving home situation is more likely to enter a “toward persons” occupation and an individual whose parent-child relationship was emotionally cold will most likely gravitate toward a “toward nonpersons” occupation. Both groups were administered the Parent-Child Relations Questionnaire developed by Roe and Siegelman. The findings lend considerable support to Roe's theory.     

The Relationship between Local Identification,Urban Disorder Sensitivity,and Prejudice Toward Immigrants: The Role of Autochthony

Autochthony is the belief that a place belongs to those who were born there and that they are more entitled. Autochthony and local identification can foster sensitivity to any source of disorder that threatens local stability. The aims of this study were to determine whether: (a) local identification is associated with a higher level of sensitivity to urban disorder and a higher level of prejudice toward immigrants; (b) higher city identifiers use autochthony (entitlement for first comers) as a justification for both of these attitudes. A self‐report questionnaire was administered to 254 adult residents of Turin, Italy. Local identification was found related to autochthony and to urban disorder sensitivity, autochthony was positively associated with both urban disorder sensitivity and prejudice toward immigrants and it mediated the relationship between local identification and prejudice.     

Religiosity,the need for structure,death attitudes,and funeral preferences

Study one (N?=?309) verified the common assumption that religious beliefs provide a sense of structure. Religion and structure indices contributed both shared and unique variance to the prediction of hope, affect, and life satisfaction. In a second study, 368 participants self-reported death attitudes, desire for structure, and answered questions concerning their own death (e.g., disposition of body, style of memorial). Strongly held religious beliefs linked to more positive and less negative attitudes toward death. The need for structure resonated with pain and natural aspects of death. Religious beliefs and structure needs further independently influenced attitudes toward and planning for one's own death.     

青少年对传统孝道的态度研究

本研究采用传统孝道态度问卷对885名初三、高一、高二、高三城乡青少年的传统孝道态度进行了初步探讨。结果表明：(1)青少年对传统孝道四个方面的态度存在极其显着的差异;(2)来自不同年级、城乡背景不同以及独生非独生男女青少年他们对传统孝道的态度存住显着差异;(3)父母对荣亲留后、抑己顺亲、敬爱祭念三个方面的赞同程度显着高于青少年,而青少年对随侍奉养的赞同程度显著高于其父母。     

Venerating Death

Abstract

In this paper, I am concerned with elucidating and expanding our attitudes toward our own death. As it is, our common attitudes toward our death are the following: we fear our premature death, and we dread our inevitable death. These attitudes are rational, but I want to argue that our attitudes toward death should be more complicated than this. A condition upon our value, our preciousness, as creatures is that we are vulnerable, and our vulnerability is, at bottom, a vulnerability to death. A corollary of this is that we could not be loved, either by ourselves or by others, for one cannot love—be concerned for—a being invulnerable to death. As a consequence, death plays a deep and abiding role in our value systems. Our susceptibility to premature and inevitable death is a condition upon our being valuable creatures and, in turn, it is a condition upon our being loved. Given the high value that we place on being valuable creatures who deserve love, we should equally place a high value on the constitutive conditions for being precious and loved. If, as I suggest, one of these conditions is that we will die, we should see our deaths not simply as something to fear or dread, but as something of great importance in our lives. Our deaths should be treated with awe, respect, and even praise.     

The Eating Disorders Inventory Among Asian American College Women

Abstract

The authors examined the effects of social support and self-control in a representative sample of 300 older adults in high-density households in an urban area of Agra City, India. The authors administered the Social Support Questionnaire (I. G. Sarason, H. M. Levine, R. B. Basham, &; B. R. Sarason, 1983) and the Self-Control Schedule (M. Rosenbaum, 1980) to form a 2 (age group: young-old vs. old-old) × 2 (social support: high vs. low) × 2 (self-control: high vs. low) factorial design. Scores on the Life Attitude Profile (G. T. Recker &; E. J. Peacock, 1981) and the Perceived Control Scale (P. Nayyar, 1993) were the dependent variables. The authors hypothesized that social support and self-control would act as moderators for a more positive attitude toward life and increased perceived control. The results supported the predictions: Social support and self-control in interaction with age reduced the crowding stress of high density and enhanced the older participants' perceived control and positive attitudes toward life.     

Factor analytic investigation of the Illness Attitudes Scale in a chronic pain safmple

The Illness Attitudes Scale (IAS) is a self-report instrument comprising nine subscales designed to assess fears, beliefs and attitudes associated with hypochondriasis and abnormal illness behaviour [Kellner (1986). Somatization and hypochondriasis. New York: Praeger.]. The purpose of the present study was to explore the factor structure of the IAS in a chronic pain sample as a preliminary step toward determining the use of this measure in this sample. Hypochondriacal tendencies have been postulated to play a role in maintaining and exacerbating responses to chronic pain and, therefore, appropriate measurement in this sample is important. In the present study, consecutive chronic pain patients presenting to a pain treatment program (N=198) were administered the IAS. Principal component analysis with oblique (Oblimin) rotation identified that five factors best explain the measure in this population. These factors were (1) fear of illness, (2) effects of symptoms, (3) health habits, (4) disease phobia and conviction and (5) fear of death. The factor structure overlapped to some degree with the scoring of the IAS proposed by Kellner (1986), as well as with the factor structure identified in a non-clinical sample [Ferguson, E. & Daniel, E. (1995). The Illness Attitudes Scale (IAS): a psychometric evaluation on a non-clinical population. Personality and Individual Differences, 18, 463–469.]. There were enough discrepancies, however, to suggest an alternative method for scoring the IAS with chronic pain patients. Implications for the use of the measure with chronic pain patients, as well as future research directions for exploring the utility of this measure with chronic pain patients, are discussed.     

Modification and psychometric evaluation of the Peterson War Scale

A measure on attitudes toward war was administered to 125 student participants at a California university to assess psychometric properties for this scale for possible use in current research. A 5-point scale was substituted for the 2-point one originally. Item analysis indicated 23 of 32 items were viable. Using Cronbach reliability coefficient alpha and factor analysis, the shortened measure had an internal consistency reliability of .85. Factor analysis yielded a 4-factor structure: (1) War is Bad, (2) War is Necessary, (3) Positive Aspects of War, and (4) No Justification. These results indicate this seemingly outdated measure of war attitudes remains useful for current research purposes involving measuring attitudes toward war. However, longitudinal research is necessary.     

Social support and self-control as variables in attitude toward life and Perceived control among older people in India

The authors examined the effects of social support and self-control in a representative sample of 300 older adults in high-density households in an urban area of Agra City, India. The authors administered the Social Support Questionnaire (I. G. Sarason, H. M. Levine, R. B. Basham, & B. R. Sarason, 1983) and the Self-Control Schedule (M. Rosenbaum, 1980) to form a 2 (age group: young-old vs. old-old) x 2 (social support: high vs. low) x 2 (self-control: high vs. low) factorial design. Scores on the Life Attitude Profile (G. T. Recker & E. J. Peacock, 1981) and the Perceived Control Scale (P. Nayyar, 1993) were the dependent variables. The authors hypothesized that social support and self-control would act as moderators for a more positive attitude toward life and increased perceived control. The results supported the predictions: Social support and self-control in interaction with age reduced the crowding stress of high density and enhanced the older participants' perceived control and positive attitudes toward life.     

A Psychotherapist's Reaction to His Patient's Death

ABSTRACT: A case history of a patient who died during the course of psychotherapy is initially presented in the form of an essay. Three therapeutic points (one related to the therapist's awareness of his anger toward the patient) are focused on in regard to working with the dependent, suicidal patient: the importance of being in touch with one's own anger toward the suicidal patient; the need to vary one's attitude and approach toward the dependent patient as he travels through different emotional phases; the importance of promptly involving significant friends and relatives in close observation of and relating to the acutely suicidal person. The emotions and psychodynamic factors in the author and other psychotherapists in response to the death of a patient are then examined, with particular emphasis on the therapist's allowing himself to mourn the personal loss.     

The effect of a major event on stereotyping: terrorist attacks in Israel and Israeli adolescents' perceptions of Palestinians,Jordanians and Arabs

This study examines the effect of a major event (terrorist attacks) on the stereotypic perceptions, attitudes and affects of 119 Israeli adolescents (56 males and 63 females of 5th and 8th grades) toward three target groups: (a) Palestinians, who still have conflictive relations with the Israelis (Palestinian extremists carried out the attacks), (b) Jordanians, who have peaceful relations with the Israelis and (c) Arabs, in general, who are considered a subcategory including Arabs of all nations. The questionnaires were administered to the same adolescents three times: during a relatively peaceful spell in Israeli–Palestinian relations; one day following two terrorist attacks, and three months thereafter. In the last administration adolescents' need for closure was also measured. Adolescents' perceptions, attitudes and affect toward the three target group were differentiated—relating to Palestinians most negatively and to Jordanians most positively. Also, following the terrorist attacks, stereotypic perceptions and attitudes changed in a negative direction, in relation to all the three groups; again with expressed differentiation among the three groups. In the third measurement, some measures remained negative, but some changed to be more positive. Only few effects of age were detected and several significant correlation with need for closure were found. These results indicate that stereotypes and attitudes toward outgroups are context‐dependent, influenced by events; thus they serve as ‘a seismograph’ to the quality of intergroup relations at any given time. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Attitudes of university precalculus students toward mathematics

To investigate the attitudes of 200 university students (83% freshmen) toward mathematics, a questionnaire was administered to report on their attitudes toward mathematics. Analysis indicated that students studying precalculus had a somewhat positive attitude toward mathematics.     

Death Anxiety and Symbolic Immortality in Relatives at Risk for Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy Type I (FAP I,ATTR V30M)

This study is an investigation of the impact of familial amyloid polyneuropathy type I (FAP I, ATTR V30M) on death anxiety and symbolic immortality. Templer and Drolet’s scales were administered to 524 individuals: (1) 84 relatives at risk, (2) 92 relatives not at risk for FAP I; and (3) a control group (n = 348) with no known hereditary disease in their families. At-risk relatives had, on average, a higher score for death anxiety and a lower score for symbolic immortality, than either those not-at-risk or controls. There were no significant differences in scores on either measure for those not-at-risk versus controls. Being at risk increases death anxiety and threatens the sense of symbolic immortality and psychosocial wellbeing. This may be true for other serious hereditary disorders as well. Genetic counsellors should become familiar with these concepts, feel comfortable initiating discussions about death with their patients, and be able to identify and reinforce their patients’ and family members’ sense of symbolic immortality.     

Locus of Control and Attitudes Toward Work and Retirement

Fifty-three older workers (M = 57.2) enrolled in a preretirement training program were administered a battery of measures designed to further evaluate the role that locus of control plays in determining attitudes toward work and retirement. Results suggested that perceived control related to work commitment. The extent of the relationship between perceived control and attitudes toward retirement, however, was mediated by sex, level of education, and self-rated health. Consistent with previous research, perceived control related to measures of adjustment.     

Belief in afterlife as a moderator of fear of death?

Investigating the notion that belief in afrerlife (BA) serves the function of helping the individual to deal with fear of death, a study was designed to explore the effect of public commitment to religion, repression-sensitization, and anticipatory concern with death and dying on BA, and examine the relationship between BA and state anxiety. Fifty students of theology and fifty students of various other subjects responded to a German version of Byrne's R-S scale, and then were randomly assigned to two conditions: they either worked through Thanatos-Questionnaire, and thereby were confronted with death and dying for about 15 to 20 minutes, or filled out a questionnaire unrelated to the topic. Thereupon, a BA scale was administered, and at last, subjects responded to a scale measuring state anxiety. The findings of Osarchuk and Tatz (1973) that religiously committed persons are strengthening BA after being confronted with death and dying could not be replicated. However, among subjects with no public commitment, those concerned with death and dying scored significantly lower on BA than those not concerned. This effect was especially observed among students classified as sensitizers. Because changes of BA did not correspond with changes of within cell correlations between BA and state anxiety, an alternative explanation of the findings in terms of dissonance theory is put forward.