Attitudes of Students in Selected Virginia Colleges and Universities Related to Death and Dying

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes toward death and dying of college students in selected colleges and universi­ ties in Virginia. The purpose was to identify attitudinal differences relating to the characteristics of sex, race, age, religious preference, degree of religiosity, socio-economic area, income level, marital status, political viewpoints, imminent personal death, and personal death experience. The Complete Inventory Price Death Attitude Scale was administered to 886 college students during the 1979-80 academic school year. Data were statistically analyzed by the Discriminant Analysis Technique and the Cattell Coefficient of Profile Similarity. Data were analyzed in terms of four subscales: Subscale I, Death Fears, Anxiety and, Tension; Subscale II, Death Education; Subscale III, Suicide; and Subscale IV, Miscellaneous or General. All of the demographic variables except socio-economic area, yearly income, political viewpoints, and personal death experience were found to discriminate at or beyond the .05 level.