Abstract
This research is the first to test the relation between postformal complex thought (PFT) and death acceptance. College students (N = 225) completed the PFT questionnaire (Cartwright et al., J Adult Dev, 2009), the Need for Cognition scale (Cacioppo et al., J Personality Assess 48:3, 1984), and Klug’s Death Acceptance Scale, comprised of death integration and confrontation scales (Klug and Sinha, Omega 18:229–235, 1987). A series of hierarchical regression analyses showed PFT made a significant contribution to death acceptance over the contributions of other cognitive and demographic variables, as predicted. Further, PFT made a significant contribution to death integration but not to death confrontation. These results are consistent with contemporary theories of adult cognitive development and PFT.
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Jennings, J.G., Galupo, M.P. & Cartwright, K.B. The Role of Postformal Cognitive Development in Death Acceptance. J Adult Dev 16, 166–172 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-009-9060-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-009-9060-4