PSYC 3684 1st edition Lecture 27 Outline of Last Lecture I. The Killer at Thurston HighII. Displacement EffectOutline of Current Lecture III. Death and DevelopmentIV. Stages of DeathCurrent LectureUnderstanding DeathDevelopmental Changes in Comprehension of Death- “Mature” understanding of deatho Permanence Once dead it does not come back- Universalityo All living things will eventually die- Non-functionalityo Living functions cease at deathUnderstanding of Death: Childhood- Preschoolers grasp death in ordero Permanenceo Universality Children may believe that they or people they love will not dieo Non-functionality Hardest concept for children to understand Children think of dead people as “less lively” as living peopleEnhancing Children’s Understanding:- Talk with children about deatho Simple, direct and accurateo Truthful as well as comfortingThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. Grade Buddy is best Used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.Understanding of Death: Adulthood- Mature understanding of death- Have not mastered fears about death- Death anxiety = complex set of concerns regarding death and dyingKalish and Reynolds (1977)- Methodo Asked participants (emerging adults- elderly) “what would you do if you only had 6 months left to live?”- Resultso Concerns about death vary by age and reflect Erikson’s developmental stageso Emerging adults: “grab all the gusto” and spend time with loved ones (identity and intimacy concerns)o Middle age: concern about welfare of others (generativity concerns) Childreno Elderly: meaning making (integrity)Kubler-Ross (1969) “On Death and Dying”- Health care workers don’t like to deal with deatho Death as “failure”o No longer need their serviceso Not clear and direct and prognosis- Denial of death was not best for dying or those who survive- Emotional needs of the dying and their familiesKubler-Ross, continued:- Interviewed 200 terminally ill patients- Analyzed the data qualitatively- 5 stages od dying:- more accurately considered common emotional reactions, not stagesStage 1: Denial:- “Oh no, not me. This is a mistake.”- Denial = denies the existence or the seriousness of their diagnosis to escape the prospect of deatho Normalo Healthy, unless extreme or prolongedStage 2: Anger:- “Why me?!”- Rage, envy and resentment- Usually taken out on external targetso Complaining about externalities- Don’t take it personally- And don’t dismiss legitimate complaints and assume they are just angryStage 3: Bargaining:- “Okay me, but please, let me live a bit longer.”- Bargain: make an agreement to postpone the inevitableo Self-imposed deadlineo Implicit promise of asking for no moreo Most patients do not keep their promise They also might try to keep making more bargainsStage 4: Depression:- Depression, despair and hopelessness- Two kinds of depression:o Reactive Depression: grief over the losses that have already occurred in the process (losing the ability to work or drive) Responds well to encouragement and reassurance though Example: I just went to your house and you do not need to worry about taking care of your kids because your husband is doing a great job.o Preparatory depression: grief over the losses to come Reassurance not helpful; dying person is grateful for someone who will listen Example: I will never see my children again… - No one should sit there any said “it is okay” because it really is not okay A lot of the people experiencing this appreciate people who will just listen and not say “it’s okay, it’s alright”Stage 5: Acceptance:- Not very happy- Not too depressing either though- Emotional reaction that is void of feeling- Communications become nonverbal- Family needs more help than