The Development of the Concept of Death in Childhood: A Review of the Literature

Despite considerable variability in research findings, a pattern of development is apparent which suggests children tend to move from conceptualizing death as a temporary and reversible state, like sleep or a separation, to an internal and universal biological process. Many factors have been implica...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Merrill-Palmer Quarterly 1987-04, Vol.33 (2), p.133-152
Main Authors: Stambrook, Michael, Parker, Kevin C. H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Child development
Child psychiatry
Child psychology
Childhood
Children
Cognitive development
Death
Diseases
Observational research
Preschool children
THEORY AND REVIEWS
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Summary:Despite considerable variability in research findings, a pattern of development is apparent which suggests children tend to move from conceptualizing death as a temporary and reversible state, like sleep or a separation, to an internal and universal biological process. Many factors have been implicated as contributing to the development of the concept of death (e.g., death experiences, religious training, life circumstances, cognitive development, emotional development, education, mass media, and the more general sociocultural influences). Little research, however, has been devoted to the systematic evaluation of these variables. Problems concerning the adequacy of the measurement instruments employed (i.e., their reliability and validity), and the exclusive use of cross-sectional data collection techniques are discussed. Future researchers must address these problems to clarify the developmental scheme for the concept of death.
ISSN:0272-930X
1535-0266