Biomedical subjects

J Wittkowski

Publications and source records attributed to J Wittkowski.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

The construction of the multidimensional orientation toward dying and death inventory (MODDI-F).

This article describes the development of a questionnaire for the multidimensional assessment of both the fear of dying and death and the acceptance of dying and death. The Multidimensional Orientation Toward Dying and Death Inventory (MODDI-F) is based on a 2 x 4-dimensional a priori structure. It consists of a factor analytically constructed version with 47 items in 8 subscales. In a German sample (N = 944; 426 men, 513 women; 18-93 years, stratified by age and sex), the internal consistency of the subscales ranges from .82 to .92. With the exception of one subscale, test-retest reliability is satisfactory. Construct validity has been demonstrated. The influence of social desirability is small in women and moderate in men. The available data suggest that MODDI-F provides a comprehensive, differentiated, reliable, and valid measurement of various orientations toward dying and death.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Religiosity and pathology.

In a sample of 109 undergraduate students, religiosity was not associated with the fear of death or with scores on a manic-depressive tendencies scale.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Correlates of life satisfaction in middle age].

A sample of 104 men and 114 women aged 42;8 to 56;6 years was interviewed about their life satisfaction, responded to a life satisfaction questionnaire and gave informations about biographical experiences in the areas "experiences of loss", "indicators of aging", "experiences of bodily vulnerability" and "death-related experiences". A negative relationship was found between satisfaction with one's past and experiences of loss as well as between satisfaction with one's presence and indicators of aging. Life satisfaction which is directed to the presence is stronger in men between 43 and 46 years than in men between 53 and 56 years. Life satisfaction which is directed to the past is stronger in men between 53 and 56 years. Subjects with a small number of negative life experiences (the "psychologically young") had a higher life satisfaction than subjects with a great deal of negative life experiences (the "psychologically old"). Results were discussed in respect to age-dependent changes in life satisfaction and in respect to a more relative view of the age variable.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Coming to terms with death - a determinant of successful aging?].

Besides the process of individuation some physical, psychical, and social experiences were demonstrated which can be regarded as stimuli for a confrontation with one's own finitude at the beginning of the second half of life. The meaning of overcoming the prospect of death and dying within the second half of life was shown with reference to the concepts of "developmental task" and "crisis". Religiosity, future time perspective, life satisfaction, self-esteem and social integration were introduced as the most important variables which provide hypotheses concerning the process of working up death related experiences.

Adaptation, Psychological↗