Developmental Psychology

Death
Source: Papalia (2021), Santrock (2018)
The Many, Changing Meanings of Death and Dying
o Cultural aspects of death include care of and o Resilience – the mourner shows a low and
behavior toward the dying and the dead, the gradually diminishing level of grief in response to
setting, mourning customs and rituals the death of a loved one
o Top causes of deaths in 1900s are: Pneumonia, o By age 4, children build a partial understanding of
Influenza, Tuberculosis, Diarrhea, and Enteritis the biological nature of death
o Today, the most common are heart disease and o Adjusting to loss is more difficult if a child had a
cancer troubled relationship with the person who died
o Thanatology – study of death and dying o They do not understand death, but they
o Hospice Care – personal, patient- and family- understand loss
centered, compassionate care for the terminally ill o Often, teens turn to peers for support
o Palliative Care – includes relief of pain and o Young adults will find their entire world collapsing
suffering, controlling of symptoms, alleviation of at once when they knew they are dying instead of
stress, and attempts to maintain a satisfactory dealing with other issues
quality of life o Middle-Aged and Older adults are more prepared
Facing Death and Loss with death
o Terminal Drop or Terminal Decline – specifically o Terror Management Theory – human’s unique
to a widely observed decline in cognitive abilities understanding of death, in concert with self-
shortly before death preservation needs and capacity for fear, results in
o Near-Death Experience – often involving a sense common emotional and psychological responses
of being out of the body or sucked into a tunnel when mortality, or thoughts of death are made
and visions of bright lights or mystical encounters salient
▪ Linked to stimulation or damage of various Significant Losses
brain areas, most notably in bilateral frontal o Bereavement for women can lead to headaches,
and occipital areas memory problems, difficulty with concentration,
▪ Generally experienced as positive as a result of dizziness, indigestion, loss of appetite, or chest
the release of endorphins pain
o Five Stages of Death o Distress of loss can be catalyst for introspection
1. Denial and growth
2. Anger o Losing a parent can push adults into resolving
3. Bargain important developmental issues: achieving a
4. Depression stronger sense of self and more pressing, realistic
5. Acceptance awareness of their own morality, along with
o Grief – emotional response that generally follows greater sense of purpose, responsibility,
closely on the heels of death commitment, and interconnectedness to others
o Bereavement – response to the loss of some o After death of a parent, siblings tends to be closer
whom a person feels close o Losing a child weakens and destroys the marriage
o Grief Work – working out of psychological issues if the marriage is not strong
connected with grief often takes the following Medical, Legal, and Ethical Issues: “The Right to Die”
path: o Brain Death – neurological condition which states
1. Shock and Disbelief the person is brain dead when all electrical activity
2. Preoccupation with the memory of the dead of the brain has ceased for a specific period of time
person ▪ Higher portions of the brains dies sooner than
3. Resolution lower parts which facilitates breathing and
o Recovery Pattern – mourner goes high to low heartbeat
distress ▪ That is why your brain could be dead but you
o Delayed Grief – moderate or elevated initial grief, still have heartbeat for the mean time
and symptoms worsen over time
o Chronic Grief – distressed for a long time
 Developmental Psychology
Death
Source: Papalia (2021), Santrock (2018)
o Euthanasia – good death, intended to end
suffering or to allow terminally ill person to die
with dignity
▪ Passive – involves withholding or discontinuing
treatment that might extend the life of a
terminally ill patient such as life support
▪ Active – “mercy killing” involves action taken
directly or deliberate to shorten life
o Advance Directive – contains instructions for
when and how to discontinue futile medical care
▪ Living will or a more formal legal document
called a durable power of attorney
▪ Durable Power of Attorney – appoints another
person if the maker of the document becomes
incompetent to do so
o Assisted Suicide – physician or someone else
helps a person bring about a self-inflicted death
Finding Meaning and Purpose in Life and Death
o Life Review – a process of reminisce that enables
a person to see the significance of his or her life
o Within a limited life span, no person can realize all
capabilities, gratify all desires, explore all interest,
or experience all the richness that life has to offer
end