Kognitive Entwicklung und Todesbegriff

  • T. Habermas
  • H. P. Rosemeier
Chapter
Part of the Jahrbuch der medizinischen Psychologie book series (MEDPSYCHOL, volume 4)

Zusammenfassung

In einem kritischen Überblick über die kognitiv-entwicklungspsychologische Forschung zur Entwicklung des Todesbegriffs zeigt sich, daß die Begriffskomponenten der Universalität und Irreversibilität sowie das Kriterium des Erlöschens der Lebensfunktionen im Grundschulalter erworben werden. Da eindeutige Bezüge zum Erwerb der konkreten Operationen im Sinne Piagets nicht nachzuweisen sind, wird vorgeschlagen, Parallelen zur Entwicklung des Begriffs des Lebens und eine für den Todesbegriff spezifische Folge von Entwicklungsschritten zu suchen. Schließlich werden Überlegungen zur Entwicklung des Todesbegriffs im Vorschulalter und im Jugendalter angestellt. Am Beispiel des todkranken Kindes wird die Rolle der Erfahrung mit Sterben auf die inhaltliche Ausgestaltung und affektive Tönung des Todeskonzepts und am Beispiel des erstmals im Jugendalter häufiger auftretenden Suizids die Handlungsrelevanz der Entwicklung des Todeskonzepts diskutiert.

Summary

A critical review of cognitive-developmental research on the development of the death concept shows that the components of universality, irreversibility, and cessation of life functions are acquired between the ages 6 and 10. Since theoretical and empirical attempts at demonstrating a link between this and the acquisition of concrete operations have been unsuccessful, it is proposed that future research should concentrate on the development of the life concept and analyze a specific developmental sequence in the acquisition of aspects of the death concept. The development of the death concept in the preschool child and the adolescent is sketched. Finally, the impact of death experiences on the content and affective coloring of the death concept is exemplified with reference to the death cognitions of fatally ill children. The pragmatic relevance of the development of the death concept is discussed in trying to explain the absence of suicide in childhood.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1990

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  • T. Habermas
  • H. P. Rosemeier

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