Testing the Death Transcendence Scale

Abstract

Using theoretical work by Lifton, psychologists of religion have reported some preliminary conceptual foundations for a theory of death transcendence and a five-factor scale to measure it. No published reports have tested this scale beyond the original authors' work with college students. Our study describes factor analysis and reliability results from its use with community persons (Study 1; N = 166) as well as hospital patients and family members of patients (Study 2; N = 273). Factor analyses in both studies supported the instrument's mystical, religious, and creative factors. The items related to the biosocial and nature factors tended to mingle with each other. Cronbach's alpha was .79 for Study 1 and .74 for Study 2.