The Impact of Differing Identity Meanings on Fears of Death

The relationship between fear of death and religiosity remains unclear, with research offering conflicting evidence. Existing theories——including buffering theory, terror management theory, death apprehension theory, and curvilinearity theory—have struggled to reconcile findings that suggest positive, negative, or curvilinear relationships. This study introduces a novel framework to categorize identity meanings. Grounded in identity theory, I distinguish between behavioral religiosity meanings (e.g., religious attendance) and attitudinal religiosity meanings (e.g., self-perceived religiosity). Using Chapman Survey of American Fears (Waves 2–7) data sets, I find that results reveal opposing effects: behavioral religiosity meanings are negatively related to fear of death, and attitudinal religiosity meanings are positively related to fear of death. These findings clarify mixed results in the literature, suggesting that underlying identity meanings not only can be categorized but also have differential implications for an identity. This study advances identity theory by categorizing identity meanings and calls for nuanced analyses of religiosity's emotional consequences, informing theoretical discourse and practical interventions.