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Encyclopedia of Geropsychology pp 680–692Cite as

Distance-to-Death Research in Geropsychology

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Synonyms

Distance-to-death and time-to-death; Terminal changes and time-to-death-related changes; Terminal decline and terminal drop; Time-to-death-related trajectory and time-to-death-related growth curves

Definition

In the broadest sense, distance-to-death research in geropsychology includes all kinds of examinations of associations between facets of psychological functioning and time-to-death. In a narrower sense, however, the term refers to the study of terminal changes in psychological functioning, that is, intraindividual changes that occur time-to-death related at the end of the individual’s lifespan. Up to the present, geropsychological distance-to-death research for the most part consists of studies of terminal decline and terminal drop in cognitive functioning and subjective well-being.

Distance-to-Death Research in Geropsychology

Across the past decades, research in geropsychology increasingly considered distance-to-death as indicator of psychological changes that unfold at...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological Ageing Research, Institute of Psychology, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Hauptstrasse 47-51, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany

    Oliver K. Schilling

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  1. Oliver K. Schilling
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Correspondence to Oliver K. Schilling .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Nancy A. Pachana

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Schilling, O.K. (2017). Distance-to-Death Research in Geropsychology. In: Pachana, N.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-082-7_125

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