Study Guide

The relationship between aging and the fear of death among senior citizens in Maslog, Sibulan

Ira Vaniz Lubiano
Herculana Salmago
David Rebojo

Silliman University
Psychology 41

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This study explores the relationship between two central social-psychological phenomena: aging and the fear of death. These two topics have received considerable attention as separate factors in human relationships and having this kind of topic would be able to help us researchers, to know the correlations between aging and the fear of death among senior citizens.How fearful or fearless it is for the elderly in Maslog Sibulan to face death? According to Sigmund Freud, the fear of death has been studied thoroughly in the field of psychology and it is best understood through psychoanalytic terms. Although Freud was no stranger to the discussion of death, it is Ernest Becker a cultural anthropologist who challenged the field of psychoanalysis and claimed that it is perhaps the fear of death that is the one which drives our behavior (2000). Aging is part of the life cycle of human being and it is indeed the part where most people are likely anxious about dying anytime of the day, most especially knowing the fact that they are getting old. Aging and the fear of death are very significant factors nowadays in our society that gives awareness to people about some facts regarding the relationship between the two variables. Aging and dying has been the norm to the community, it is understood to be as what is already expected to happen. According to Payutto (1996), by nature, aging and death are simple facts of life, it is a psychological mean of losing hope, and it is a frustrating aspirations and feeling of fear and anguish. Reaching the old age or the elderly stage of the human development may let people come to think about how they would be able to live their life to the fullest. Elderly people begin to be fearful about death particularly in their age, because during that stage in their life they already are suffering from some health and physical problem. The elders believe that as they come to age, they would be left behind by their loved ones and be left uncared. They also think about how they should live their lives now that they are alone and that how would they be able to live a life that is not too different from how they have lived their lives before. Some time in our life we try to ask ourselves why we fear death. Why we still have to age? Why we get anxious by knowing this reality, when aging and death is in fact an event where all people have to go through and experience. We know from the very beginning that all of us are going to age and die; all of us have to leave this world one of these days. Knowing these factors in life and having these things in mind makes us worry a lot and makes us anxious about these things. People have personal reasons why they do fear death and how they correlate aging with their fears of death, but for us, death and aging are happenings in our life that we could not stop or even prevent it from happening. Aging is part of our life cycle and death is part of our life. If there is such thing as beginning and an ending there is also such thing as life and death.

Review of Related Literature

The academic study of the aging process includes gerontology, a broad study of the aging process, the geriatrics, a specialty concentrating on the medical problems associatedwith growing older. Gerontology utilizes multidisciplinary concepts and approaches in an attempt to understand all aspects of the complex aging process. Three types of aging have contributed to gerontology; biological aging, psychological aging, and social aging (Saxon & Etten, 2002). Aging is a complex and fascinating process, one that we all experience. It is complex because of its many facets--physiological, emotional, cognitive, economic, and interpersonal—that influence our social functioning and well- being. It is a fascinating process because these changes will occur differently in each one of us. There is considerable truth to the statement that, as we grow older, we become more unlike each other (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2002). According to Santrock, through increase in knowledge in the aging process, elders are eager to make decisions that can enhance their own positive adaptation to aging and old age (Santrock, 2002). According to Hooyman and Kiyak (2002): Aging is also a process that attracts the attention of the media, politicians, business and industry, and the general public, largely because we live in a rapidly aging society. Changes in the numbers and proportion of older people in our population have numerous implications for societal structures, including the family, health and social services, long-term care, pension and retirement practices, political processes, recreational services, and housing. In addition, these changes are of growing concern because of the problems of poverty, inadequate housing, and chronic disease faced by some older people-particularly women, ethnic minorities, the oldest-old, and those living alone. Aging is just the decline of life and the decay of the faculties; and death is the passing-away, the termination of the time of life, the break-up of the aggregates and the casting off of the body (Payutto, 1996). Physical losses and other problems of old age may diminish their pleasure in living. On the other hand, when 414 hospitalized patients in their eighties and nineties were asked how much time they would be willing to trade for excellent health, about 2 out of 3 were unwilling to give up more than a month of life (Tsevat et. al., 1998). Domingo’s exploratory study (1990) of old age among 15 Filipino elderly aging from 60-92 years gathered three meanings of old age: old age as the last stage of life, old age as a product of the earlier way of life of the individual, and old age as a chronological event. Soriano (1990) made a study of 53 elderly in Baguio, Philippines about the impact of supportive networks on the life satisfaction of older adults. Results revealed that supportive networks had a significant impact on the life satisfaction of the elderly. Supportive network variables found to have significant impact on the well-being of the elderly are functional health, degree of respect felt, income, gender, service support received, perceived adequacy of economic support received, social support shared, frequency of interaction and proximity of these support systems(Dumalaga, 1990). A study of the names of Filipino elderly in Tondo, Manila was made by Barcenilla (1973) among 132 elderly aged 50 years and above who belonged to the low income group. The survey identify the following: unmet health needs like proper diet, proper administration of medication, helping patients in and out of bed, posture and recommended exercise; unmet emotional needs like positive attitude need to refrain from worries over home finance and fulfillment of household chores, privacy; unmet social needs like achieving and maintaining positive and well integrated social relations with the family and community, use of abilities to greatest advantage and public recognition(Dumalaga, 1990). Death is constantly present element in Filipino folk beliefs. Central to all these belief about death is the closeness of family ties and the fear of breaking them. The many reminders of death once again underline the great value placed by the Filipinos on human life, as well as the realization that it can be lost anytime, anywhere (Aligan, 2000). Past research suggests that thinking about death is destructive and dangerous, fuelling everything from prejudice and greed to violence (2002). Even before the Spaniards came to the Philippines, the different tribal groups in the country had long recognized the reality of death. For the early Filipinos, death was a mystery. They perceived death as something beyond the ordinary experience of life. The Filipino attitude that makes him accepts suffering and problems leaving everything to God. This attitude as a fatalistic resignation or withdrawal from an engagement or crisis or a shirking personal responsibility. With this attitude one leaves everything to fate (Aligan, 2000). Death is said as a transition that starts with dying and ends with being dead. For practical purposes, a dying person is one identified as having a condition from which no recovery can be expected. Dying is thus the period during which the organism loses its viability (Atchley, 2000). Some embrace death and welcome it; others abhor and fear it. For those who welcome it, death may be seen as the fitting end to a fulfilled life. From this perspective, how we depart from earth is influenced by how we have lived (Santrock, 2002). Fear and denial of death has also been noted in several studies especially in that of Becker and Neale as major determinants of human motivation and attitudes. The fear of death is natural and is present in everyone that it is “the basic fear that influences all others, a fear from which no one is immune, no matter how disguise it may be”. Optimum learning and social environment can reduce the fear, the terror, but cannot eliminate it. Much of our behavior arises from just such attempts to reduce the fear of death, not least of which are our attempts to be in control and to relate transcendent phenomena (Aligan, 2000). Death and dying are being seen more and more as the terminal phase of the life cycle. Professionals who work with the dying and those who study death and dying have made attempts to understand this final stage. It is hoped that such understanding will help health care professionals to enrich the lives of the dying and their families and to provide personalized care for those who have been defined as terminally ill (Kart & Kinney, 2001). One major implication of this body of work, we should turn attention and research efforts toward better understanding of how the motivations triggered by death awareness can actually improve people 's lives, rather than how it can cause malady and social strife as (Santrock, 2006cited in Vail, n.d.). In old age, one’s own death may take on an appropriateness it lacked in earlier years. Some of the increased thinking and conversing about death, and an increased sense of integrity developed through a positive life review,which may help older adults accept death. Even among older adults attitudes toward death vary. Some elderly declared that they have lived their life and were ready to see it come to an end. Other elderly declared that death would be a regrettable interruption of their participation in activities and relationships (Santrock, 2006). Old age and death are natural phenomena. In accordance with the law of nature all conditioned things are impermanent and liable to change, being subject to causes and conditions. Everything that has a beginning must at last come to an end. The lives of all beings, after being born, must decay and die (Payutto, 1996). In short, three points should be observed concerning aging and death. First, aging and death are plain facts of life, the contemplation of which may lead to insight into the truth of all things. Second, aging and death can be an opportunity for the development of a good life; we should make the best out of them. Third, relying on aging and death, even the ageless and the deathless can be attained to (Payutto, 1996).

Theoretical Framework

Issues about the end of middle age and the beginning of the old age do not have lenient answer.The same is true for death.Even dictionaries do not give precise definition ofwhat death is and when it may occur.They said that death do depend on the perspective of the individual(Saxon, 2002). Figure 1.
[pic]
Death means different things to the same person at different times; and it means different things to the same person at the same time. Let’s consider what these “different things” are. Every culture has particular images or objects that serves as a reminder of death. For instance, a flag at half staff, sympathy cards, and tombstone all bring death to mind. People may try to avoid thinking or viewing these reminders. Others may see these images and feel uneasy or simply think about their invertible death (Cavanaugh, 1997). Most people respond with shock to the knowledge that they are about to die. Their first thought is, “Oh, no, this can’t be happening to me.” When people around the patient also deny reality, he or she has no one to talk and, as a result, feels deserted and isolated. When allowed some hope along with the first announcement and given the assurance that they will not be deserted no matter what happens, people can drop the initial shock and denial rather quickly. Finally, people can acknowledge, “My time is very close now, and it’s all right.” This is not necessarily a happy time, but people who have worked through their anxieties and anger about death and have resolved their unfinished business end up with a feeling of peace with themselves andwith the world (Papalia, 2002). In older age the major developmental task is to review one’s life, reconcile successes and failures, and put it all into perspective. If this process is accompanied by feelings of self-worth and satisfaction in knowingthat an individual did the best he or she could inany of their various life circumstances, ego integrity will be achieved. If life is viewed as a series of failure experiences and the individual feels he or she was inadequate to meet most life’s demands, despair may follow (Saxon, 2002). Thinking about death may bring about feelings of fear and anxiety and so much research has examine this topic at this point, though, it is important to realized that older adults are more likely to express acceptance and acquiescence at the inevitability of death. The solution typically has been for experts to propose a set of criteria, which are then adopted by the society (Saxon, 2002). In general, older people are less anxious about death than middle-aged people (Bengston, Cuellar & Ragan, 1975). They are more likely to use emotion- focused coping strategies. Through the years, as people lose friends and relatives, they gradually reorganize their thoughts and feelings to accept their own mortality (Tsevat et. al., 1998). According to Erickson in figure 1, people in late adulthood must deal with the last of eight crises: integrity and despair. Those who resolve this final crisis achieve a wisdom that enables them to accept both what they have done with their lives and their impending death. Peck’s adjustment of old age may help people cope. People who feel that their lives have been meaningful are usually able to face death better (Cavanaugh, 1997).

Conceptual Framework

The researchers assume that the relationship between aging and fear of death among senior citizen are some of the human concern that has been conceptualized as a powerful motivating force behind much creative expression and philosophic inquiry throughout the ages. Most people who reach in their old age are said to be anxious about death and some are ready enough to die any time and are not afraid anymore of death. In the study, senior citizen or women who aged from 60 years old and above are prominent figures within a respective community and these women are more to be anxious about death. Most of them are usually not comfortable in talking about death and even using it for the sake of a conversation. Being anxious about death by the time a person reaches the age of 60-80 years old is quite typical, most especially that senior citizen during that time are more susceptible to any diseases and sickness. Aging and its relationship to death anxiety would be able to help us learn and be more aware about how would senior citizen feel about this particular factors. This study will try to find out if there would be a direct correlation between aging and death anxiety and if being anxious about death will have a significant connection in aging.

Figure 2.

[pic]

In figure 2, the concept illustrated is aging and its direct relationship with fear of death. Death will then be subdivided into two: fearful and fearless, pertaining to the possible reactions that they have towards death anxiety and their perception about death. A one-way arrow signifies that aging has something to do with fear of death and thus illustrate that fear of death is dependent to aging. The other two one-way arrows from death to fearless and fearful signify the reactions or real life ideas of the senior citizen towards death.

Statement of the Problems

Is there a relationship between aging and fear of death among senior citizen in Maslog, Sibulan?

Hypotheses

The null hypothesis stated that no relationship exist between aging and fear of death among senior citizen in Maslog, Sibulan. Meanwhile the alternative hypothesis assumed that there is an existing relationship between aging and fear of death among senior citizen in Maslog, Sibulan.

Significance of the Study

Old age and death are natural phenomena. In accordance with the law of nature all conditioned things are impermanent and liable to change, being subject to causes and conditions. Everything that has a beginning must at last come to an end. The lives of all beings, after being born, must decay and die (Payutto, 1996). What kinds of changes do people undergo shortly before death? How do they come to terms with its imminence (Papalia, et al, 2002)? By studying the role of death and aging among senior citizen we will be able to understand the relationship on how fear of death and aging takes place as they live their lives. Learning about aging and the fear of death does not only give us insight into our own interpersonal relationships, self-esteem, and meaningful activities as humans grow older; it also helps us comprehend the aging and dying processes of senior citizen. It is important to recognize that change and growth take place throughout the life course. In determining the relationship of aging and fear of death among senior citizens, we are able to foresee the possible concerns of how old age cope up with the concern of death when having reach the elderly age. Is it something to be feared of or not? Is it fine to accommodate death in the old age? How does one adopt himself or herself whenone have reach old age. This study will try to accommodate the ways on how to accept death in reaching distinct age.

Chapter II

METHODOLOGY

Variables

The propose study employ a descriptive-correlational research design that will aim to prove the relationship between aging and the fear of death among senior citizen. Aging and fear of death among senior citizen will be the independent and dependent variables, respectively. Both variables will be tested to determine whether the correlation between both variable exists. Aging issaid to be as those individual who belong within the age group of 60 years old and above and are considered as senior citizen in our country. Agingis the decline of life and the decay of the faculties (Payutto, 1996). Meanwhile, death isthe process of transition that starts with dying and ends with being dead (Atchley, 2000). Fear of death isthe agitation and anxiety caused by termination of life or the extinction of life. In order for us to know the relationship between the two variable, sufficient data should be obtain for us to know if individuals who fall in this age group really tends to fear death. Given this option will help us arrive in a helpful conclusion that will serve as a good contribution in a society were aging individual isa great number.

Participants

The participants will be a group of registered senior citizen from Maslog, Sibulan Negros Oriental who falls within the age range of 60 years old and above. Each individual in the group will be considered as a participant for the study. Consequently,base on the statistics that was given to us from the barangay captain of Maslog, Sibulanthere will be 168Department of Social Welfare and Development or DSWDregistered senior citizen dwellersin the barangay. Participants for the study: female and male. The final number of registered senior citizen is numbered as 118 – all will be invited as participants for this study. We arrived in a sample size of 118 participants or registered DSWD senior citizen dwellers in Maslog Sibulan through Slovin’s formula where in we took the total population of registered DSWD senior citizen in Maslog Sibulan in order to attain the sample size. As researchers, we choose Department of Social Welfare and Development or DSWDregistered senior citizen to attain direct, valid, and sufficient senior citizen dwellers. This said participants will be given a questionnaire scale that would answer how aging and fear of death correlate. Choosing registered senior citizen will enable us to organize the over numbered elderly in Maslog, Sibulan.

Instruments

Death Anxiety Scale was developed by Donald Templer that uses to measure the variable of death anxiety. Death anxiety has been measured using largely self-report measures. Templer’s (1970) Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) has been used most frequently to measure death anxiety (Abdel-Khalek, 1991, 2005; Abdel-Khalek, Beshai, & Templer, 1993; Abdel-Khalek & Omar, 1988; Donovan, 1993; Lester & Castromayor, 1993 ; Ray & Raju, 2006; Schumaker et al., 1988 in Death Anxiety: An Analysis of an Evolving Concept, 2009). The DAS is shown to be based on a two-factor model of death anxiety that includes psychological (internal) and life experience (external) factors related to death (Tomer, 1992 in Death Anxiety: An Analysis of an Evolving Concept, 2009). With a 5-point range namely; 1- strongly agree, 2- agree, 3- neutral, 4- disagree, and 5- strongly disagree, the scale is composed of items that elaborate questions about death anxiety. The questionnaire will be use to measure the strength on how senior citizens cope with the death anxiety. An email has been sent to attain the permission to use the instrument and still waiting for the soonest reply. The second scale that will be for the second variable is a questionnaire that has been copied at “http://www.agingresearch.org/content/general/detail/553”. The questionnaire elaborates to the older people on how they comply with their state of aging. A sample question stated, “How concerned have you been up to this point in your life about aging or getting older?” This will be answered through points namely; very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned, not at all concerned, and don’t know/no answer. An email has been sent to attain the permission to use the instrument and still waiting for the soonest reply. The instruments will be translated to the participant’s local language so as for them to understand the questionnaire easily.

Procedure

The sample selection for the study is the senior citizen from Maslog, Sibulan Dumaguete City. A list of all registered Senior Citizen will be provided by the barangay captain. With the assistance of the barangay officials, the researchers of the study will be able to identify the participants. The date of the study will take place during their monthly meeting so as to gather them easily. The participants will be given a letter that would provide a brief background of what the study is about. Then, they will be provided with the questionnaire scales on the things that should be completed. The questionnaire will be translated to the participant’s local language so as for them to understand the questionnaire easily. After the data collection process, Pearson Moment Correlation Coefficient will be used to verify in how the evaluation proceeded.

Statistical Analysis

The correlation between two variables reflects the degree to which the variables are related. The most common measure of correlation is the Pearson Product Moment Correlation (called Pearson 's correlation for short). When measured in a population the Pearson Product Moment correlation is designated by the Greek letter rho (ρ).When computed in a sample, it is designated by the letter "r" and is sometimes called "Pearson 's r." Pearson 's correlation reflects the degree of linear relationship between two variables. It ranges from +1 to -1. A correlation of +1 means, that there is a perfect positive linear relationship between variables. The scatter plot shown depicts such relationship. It is a positive relationship because high scores on the X-axis are associated with high scores on the Y-axis (2012).

REFERENCES

Aligan, R. (2000). The end as the beginning: The filipino view on death. Manila: UST Publishing House.
Atchley, R. C. (2000). Social forces and aging: An introduction to social gerontology. USA: Wadsworth.
Cavanaugh, J. C. (1997). Adult development and aging. Dying and bereavement (3rd ed.) USA: Cole Publishing.
Choudhury, A. (2009). Pearson Product-Moment Correlation. Retrieved 20 Aug. 2012 from Experiment Resources: http://www.experiment-resources.com/pearson-product-moment-correlation.html
Dumalag, T.Q. (1996). Selected variables and the relationships to stressful events as perceived by the elderly of Dumaguete City. Ph.D. Thesis: Silliman University.

Hooyman, N. R., Kiyak, A. H. (2002). Social gerontology: Multidisciplinary perspectives. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Kart, C. S., Kinney, J. M. (2001). The realities of aging: The dying process. Allyn & Bacon
Papalia, D. E. et al. (2002). Adult development and aging. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Santrock, J. (2006). Life-span development: Attitudes toward death at different points in the life span. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Saxon, S.V., Etten M. J. (2002). Physical change and aging: perspectives on aging. 4th ed. New York: Springer Publishing Company.
Appendix

Death Anxiety Scale

AGE:__________________________ MALE:______FEMALE:_______

DIRECTIONS: Please indicate your age and sex, and then answer the 15 questions. If a statement is true or mostly true as applied to you, circle “T”. If a statement is false or mostly false as applied to you, circle “F”.

1. I am very much afraid to die. T F
2. The thought of death seldom enters my mind. T F
3. It doesn’t make me nervous when people talk about death. T F
4. I dread to think about having to have an operation. T F
5. I am not at all afraid to die. T F
6. I am not particularly afraid of getting cancer. T F
7. The thought of death never bothers me. T F
8. I am often distressed by the way time flies so very rapidly. T F
9. I fear dying a painful death. T F
10. The subject of life after death troubles me greatly. T F
11. I am really scared of having a heart attack. T F
12. I often think about how short life really is. T F
13. I shudder when I hear people talking about a World War III. T F
14. The sight of a dead body is horrifying to me. T F
15. I feel that the future holds nothing for me to fear. T F

DDS

AGE:__________________________________ MALE:______ FEMALE:______

DIRECTIONS: Please read the following statements and then circle the number of the response that best describes how you feel about the item.

1= STRONGLY AGREE 2= AGREE 3=NEUTRAL 4=DISGAREE 5=STRONGLY DISAGREE

1. I get depressed when I think about death. 1 2 3 4 5
2. Hearing the word death makes me sad. 1 2 3 4 5
3. Passing by cemeteries makes me sad. 1 2 3 4 5
4. Death means terrible loneliness. 1 2 3 4 5
5. I become terribly sad when I think about friends 1 2 3 4 5 or relatives who have died.
6. I am terribly upset by the shortness of life. 1 2 3 4 5
7. I cannot accept the finality of death. 1 2 3 4 5
8. Death deprives life of its meaning. 1 2 3 4 5
9. I worry about dying alone. 1 2 3 4 5
10. When I die, I will completely lose my friends 1 2 3 4 5 and love ones.
11. Death does not rob life of its meaning. 1 2 3 4 5
12. Death is not something to be depressed by. 1 2 3 4 5
13. When I think of death, I feel tired and lifeless. 1 2 3 4 5
14. Death is painful. 1 2 3 4 5
15. I dread to think of the death of friends 1 2 3 4 5 and love ones.
16. Death is the ultimate failure in life. 1 2 3 4 5
17. I feel sad when I dream of death. 1 2 3 4 5

DDS

DIRECTIONS: Please indicate your age and sex, and then answer the 17 questions. If a statement is true or mostly true as applied to you, circle “T”. If a statement is false or mostly false as applied to you circle “F”.

AGE______________________________ MALE:_______ FEMALE:________

1. I get depressed when I think about death. T F
2. Hearing the word death makes me sad. T F
3. Passing by cemeteries makes me sad. T F
4. Death means terrible loneliness. T F
5. I become terribly sad when I think about friends T F or relatives who have died.
6. I am terribly upset by the shortness of life. T F
7. I cannot accept the finality of death. T F
8. Death deprives life of its meaning. T F
9. I worry about dying alone. T F
10. When I die, I will completely lose my friends T F and love ones.
11. Death does not rob life of its meaning. T F
12. Death is not something to be depressed by. T F
13. When I think of death, I feel tired and T F lifeless. 14. Death is painful. T F

15. I dread to think of the death of friends and T F love ones.
16. Death is the ultimate failure in life. T F
I feel sad when I dream of death.
17. I feel sad when I dream of death. T F

-----------------------
Trust Vs. Mistrust

Autonomy Vs. Shame and Doubt

Initiative Vs. Guilt

Intimacy Vs. Isolation

Identity Vs. Role Confusion

Industry Vs. Inferiority

Generativity Vs. Stagnation

Integrity Vs. Despair

Older adults look back on life and feel a sense of fulfillment. Success at this stage leads to defwx‰Š–—š­®»¼¾¿ÀÂËÌÍÙÚÛ˜™ö

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?‚klõèõèÑǺõèõèõè²õèõèõªŸ—õèŠõèŠõèõèõ{l{èfeelings of wisdom, while failure results in regret, bitterness, and despair – how they are to feel about death.

Aging

Fearful

Fearless

Death

References: Aligan, R. (2000). The end as the beginning: The filipino view on death. Manila: UST Publishing House. Atchley, R. C. (2000). Social forces and aging: An introduction to social gerontology. USA: Wadsworth. Cavanaugh, J. C. (1997). Adult development and aging. Dying and bereavement (3rd ed.) USA: Cole Publishing. Choudhury, A. (2009). Pearson Product-Moment Correlation. Retrieved 20 Aug. 2012 from Experiment Resources: http://www.experiment-resources.com/pearson-product-moment-correlation.html Dumalag, T.Q Hooyman, N. R., Kiyak, A. H. (2002). Social gerontology: Multidisciplinary perspectives. Boston, MA: Pearson Education. Kart, C. S., Kinney, J. M. (2001). The realities of aging: The dying process. Allyn & Bacon Papalia, D Santrock, J. (2006). Life-span development: Attitudes toward death at different points in the life span. New York: McGraw-Hill. Saxon, S.V., Etten M. J. (2002). Physical change and aging: perspectives on aging. 4th ed. New York: Springer Publishing Company.