The development of children's concepts of death

This study had three purposes. The first was to construct a reliable test to assess children's concepts of death. Such a test was devised and was found to be reliable. The second purpose was to assess the development of children's understandings of subconcepts of the concept of death (cessation, necessity, irreversibility, causality, and university) for different content (humans and animals). The findings were: More younger than older children correctly judges tasks measuring these subconcepts, some of the subconcepts were more difficult than others, and there were no differences between children's understanding of these subconcepts for humans and animals. The third purpose was to find two kinds of developmental sequences. The first was development between the subconcepts. Two sequences were predicted based on an analysis of prerequisite relations: One of these was found in part, and the other was within a subconcept. It was found that children believe that in death there is cessation of external events (moving, speaking) before internal events (thinking, dreaming).     

Young children's death concepts revisited

One hundred forty-one children, ages three to seven, were interviewed and presented with different play situations to assess their death concepts. Chi-square analysis and post hoc pairwise contrasts tests were used to examine differences in responses by parents' marital status and socioeconomic background The feasibility of a play activity involving puppets for assessing death concepts was also explored. It was concluded that there is no relationship between parents' marital status and young children's death concepts, that young children from different socioeconomic backgrounds are far more similar than different in their understandings of death, and that a play situation with undefined cause of death is a potentially useful supplementary means for assessing young children's death concepts.     

United States and Brazilian children's concepts of death

A group of 215 U.S. and 188 Brazilian urban, middle class children ages 10 and 11 completed a 4-item questionnaire about death. The responses were categorized and compared. The authors came to the following conclusions: Significant differences in thoughts about death appear to be cultural and specifically tied to sex role expectations. Patterns of thoughts about death appear to be more consistent among the Brazilian than the U.S. children. It appears that religion strongly influences the Brazilian girls' conceptualizations of death but not the other children's in the sample. Although there were many differences in concepts of death between the U.S. and the Brazilian children, there were also numerous similarities.     

A cross-cultural comparison of israeli and american children's death concepts

Cross-cultural comparisons are a valuable means of exploring the impact of sociocultural and environmental variables on a child's understanding of the concepts related to death. Exploration of an empirical nature has been hampered by the absence of an appropriate instrument in the English literature for quantifying death concepts in the young child. We report our experience utilizing the Smilansky Death Concept Questionnaire, a structured interview for the examination of human and animal death conceptualization of children aged 4-12 years, in our cross-cultural comparison of Israeli and American lower-socioeconomic-class children in prekindergarten through second grade. Significant differences, with Israeli children performing higher than American children, were noted for all grade levels in two factors, that of irreversibility and finality (with the exception of irreversibility for second-grade children) and for total death concept score. No significant differences were noted for the two remaining factors of causality and inevitability and old age for any grade. Tentative explanations are explored for this observed discrepancy in the nature and level of death concept acquisition between Israeli and American children in this sample, and similarities across cultures are emphasized. Implications of the impact of sociocultural and environmental influences on a young child's developmental understanding of the phenomenon of death are suggested.     

A cross-cultural comparison of israeli and american children's death concepts

Abstract

Cross-cultural comparisons are a valuable means of exploring the impact of sociocultural and environmental variables on a child's understanding of the concepts related to death. Exploration of an empirical nature has been hampered by the absence of an appropriate instrument in the English literature for quantifying death concepts in the young child. We report our experience utilizing the Smilansky Death Concept Questionnaire, a structured interview for the examination of human and animal death conceptualization of children aged 4–12 years, in our cross-cultural comparison of Israeli and American lower-socioeconomic-class children in prekindergarten through second grade. Significant differences, with Israeli children performing higher than American children, were noted for all grade levels in two factors, that of irreversibility and finality (with the exception of irreversibility for second-grade children) and for total death concept score. No significant differences were noted for the two remaining factors of causality and inevitability and old age for any grade. Tentative explanations are explored for this observed discrepancy in the nature and level of death concept acquisition between Israeli and American children in this sample, and similarities across cultures are emphasized. Implications of the impact of sociocultural and environmental influences on a young child's developmental understanding of the phenomenon of death are suggested.     

Current concepts of children's perceptions of control

Beliefs about control have been identified as an important aspect of the occupational therapy evaluation process because of their potential influence over the course of action chosen. This paper reviews the current status of research and theory in this area as it relates to children. Issues addressed include the drawbacks of the downward extension of adult theoretical models and tests to children, the multidimensionality of perceived control, and the relation between cognitive development and changes in beliefs. Recent revisions in theoretical models and new measures that provide more differentiated information on children's beliefs about causality and personal efficacy are reviewed. The implications for the selection of instruments and interpretation of results for the assessment of children's perceived control in clinical practice are discussed.     

Reflections on my children's experiencing death

The understanding of death is a difficult task for most adults. Traditionally children have been denied opportunities to experience the realities of death based on the following assumptions: (1) that children are unable to fully comprehend death, (2) that they are not psychologically prepared for such an experience, and (3) that it is the responsibility of the parents to protect them from such “traumatic” experiences. What has not been taken into consideration is the side effect that results from the diversionary tactics used to protect them from direct experience with death.

This article examines a family's confrontation with death on several occasions and demonstrates how children must deal with the experience in their own way and at their own level. By experiencing the loss of a loved one first hand, a child is given the opportunity to develop feelings such as sympathy, compassion, grief, and sorrow. By sharing in the experiencing of these feelings with adults, the child is provided with modeled behaviors that will serve as a reference point for coping with death later in life.     

Reflections on my children's experiencing death

Abstract

The understanding of death is a difficult task for most adults. Traditionally children have been denied opportunities to experience the realities of death based on the following assumptions: (1) that children are unable to fully comprehend death, (2) that they are not psychologically prepared for such an experience, and (3) that it is the responsibility of the parents to protect them from such “traumatic” experiences. What has not been taken into consideration is the side effect that results from the diversionary tactics used to protect them from direct experience with death.

This article examines a family's confrontation with death on several occasions and demonstrates how children must deal with the experience in their own way and at their own level. By experiencing the loss of a loved one first hand, a child is given the opportunity to develop feelings such as sympathy, compassion, grief, and sorrow. By sharing in the experiencing of these feelings with adults, the child is provided with modeled behaviors that will serve as a reference point for coping with death later in life.     

Impact of sibling death on children's behavior

Abstract

Research has indicated that siblings of deceased children demonstrate a variety of behavioral problems as a result of the death. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of selected factors and children's behavior during the first year following the siblings' deaths.

The sample included 33 boys and 32 girls ages 4 to 16 years who were the siblings of deceased children. Data on their behavior was obtained by an interview with the mothers using a standardized tool, the Child Behavior Checklist. Results showed that the bereaved children displayed significantly more behavior problems in comparison to standardized norms. The variables of age, place of death, family size, ill child's diagnosis, sex and age of deceased child, and funeral attendance were related to behavior problems in the surviving children.     

Impact of sibling death on children's behavior

Research has indicated that siblings of deceased children demonstrate a variety of behavioral problems as a result of the death. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of selected factors and children's behavior during the first year following the siblings' deaths.

The sample included 33 boys and 32 girls ages 4 to 16 years who were the siblings of deceased children. Data on their behavior was obtained by an interview with the mothers using a standardized tool, the Child Behavior Checklist. Results showed that the bereaved children displayed significantly more behavior problems in comparison to standardized norms. The variables of age, place of death, family size, ill child's diagnosis, sex and age of deceased child, and funeral attendance were related to behavior problems in the surviving children.     

Parents' perceptions of their children's death concept

To examine the differences between parents' and nonparents' beliefs regarding the concept of death in children, 352 individuals answered a demographic survey. Questions concerning beliefs about the age at which children develop the concept of the irreversibility of death were included on the survey. Parents believed that the concept is developed at an earlier age than did nonparents, and also believed that the concept is developed at an earlier age than has been revealed by most research.     

Changing concepts of death: Clinical care

The words clinic and clinical are derived from the Greek word for bed or couch. Traditionally that is where patients find themselves when they are sick; that is where clinical observations are made and where clinical care is rendered, in a hospital ward, outpatient clinic, or, more traditionally, by the bedside at home. Clinical observations and clinical care are made or given by professionals, a fact that accounts for a secondary dictionary meaning of clinical, namely, “objective” or “dispassionate”. It is this component of professionalism that has led in turn to the somewhat unfortunate expression “coldly clinical”. This more recent emphasis on the noncaring elements implied by the word itself is surely due to the enormous growth of scientific and technological aspects of medicine and often a concomitant loss of those essential human qualities that formed the cornerstone of the doctor-patient relationship in traditional medical practice.     

The development of the concepts of the mucociliary transport system

A review is made of the main stages in the formation of the concept of the mucociliary transport system. The diagnostic and informative value of the different research methods for the mucociliary system and possible prospects of the design of the novel methods for its investigation are discussed.     

Children's concepts of death. Implications for pediatric practice

This article has reviewed the developmental evolution of the concept of death in children. As has been illustrated, the child's perception of death is significantly different from that of adults and goes through several successive changes before the mature concept is grasped. Application has been demonstrated in reference to children who are hospitalized. Interventions that nurses can utilize to help children deal with their fears have been suggested.     

临终关怀与死亡教育的进展

临终关怀 (HospiceCare)是一门以临终病人生理、心理特征和临终照护实践规律为研究对象的一门新兴边缘学科 ,其目的在于使临终前病人的生命质量得到提高 ,减轻其肉体及精神上的痛苦 ,愉快舒适地度过人生的最后时光。加强死亡教育 ,引导人们走出死亡的心理误区 ,提高传统伦理环境对临终关怀的积极作用