Relationships Between Personality Characteristics and Death Awareness In A Graduate Student Sample

Abstract

We examined relationships between personality characteristics and death awareness in a graduate student sample. 72 students completed a personality measure, ruminated about their death (n = 36) or dental pain (n = 36), and then completed a death-thought accessibility measure. Findings revealed a significant positive association between level of neuroticism and death awareness regardless of whether or not they were primed to think about death. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. Key words Death anxiety, death awareness, personality, neuroticism, Terror Management