Psychological Reports, 1992, 71, 1178. O Psychological Reports 1992
ONTOLOGICAL INSECURITY AND FEARS OF DEATH ' DAVID LESTER Richard Stockton State College Summary.-Doubts about one's existence (Lester-Thinschmidt scale) were unrelated to fears of death and dying (CoUett-Lester scale) in a sample of 48 college students.
Lester and Thinschrnidt (1988) reported that doubts about one's own existence [a part of Laing's (1969) concept of ontological insecurity] were associated with neuroticism scores. To explore whether ontological insecurity was Alated to fears of death and dying, 36 female and 12 male college undergraduates (Map,= 24.9, SD = 7.8) enrolled in two courses completed anonymously a questionnaire containing the Lester-Thinschmidt (1988) ontological insecurity scale and the revised Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale (Lester, 1990). Doubts about one's own existence were unrelated to fears of death and dying of self and of others (Pearson rs = 0.14, -0.11, 0.18, and 0.03, respectively). Of the other components of the measure of ontological insecurity, the desire to be noticed was significantly associated only with fears about one's own death or dying (rs = 0.43 and 0.36, two-tailed p < .02), while the desire to be remembered and a belief in mind/body separation were unrelated to the fears of death and dying. So, contrary to expectations, doubts about one's existence were unrelated to fears of death and dying of oneself or of others in thls study. Perhaps those with ontological insecurity are not concerned with death because they are not yet convinced of life? REFERENCES LAING,R. D. The divided self. New York: Pantheon, 1969. LESTER,D. The Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale. Death Studies, 1990, 14, 451-468. LESTER,D., & THINSCHMIDT, J. The relationship of Laing's conce t of ontological insecurity to extraversion and neuroticism. Personalily and Individual Llgrences, 1988, 9, 687-688. Accepted October 29, 1992.
'Address enquiries to D. Lester, Ph.D., Psychology Program, Richard Stockton State College, Pomona, NJ 08240.
ONTOLOGICAL INSECURITY AND FEARS OF DEATH ' DAVID LESTER Richard Stockton State College Summary.-Doubts about one's existence (Lester-Thinschmidt scale) were unrelated to fears of death and dying (CoUett-Lester scale) in a sample of 48 college students.
Lester and Thinschrnidt (1988) reported that doubts about one's own existence [a part of Laing's (1969) concept of ontological insecurity] were associated with neuroticism scores. To explore whether ontological insecurity was Alated to fears of death and dying, 36 female and 12 male college undergraduates (Map,= 24.9, SD = 7.8) enrolled in two courses completed anonymously a questionnaire containing the Lester-Thinschmidt (1988) ontological insecurity scale and the revised Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale (Lester, 1990). Doubts about one's own existence were unrelated to fears of death and dying of self and of others (Pearson rs = 0.14, -0.11, 0.18, and 0.03, respectively). Of the other components of the measure of ontological insecurity, the desire to be noticed was significantly associated only with fears about one's own death or dying (rs = 0.43 and 0.36, two-tailed p < .02), while the desire to be remembered and a belief in mind/body separation were unrelated to the fears of death and dying. So, contrary to expectations, doubts about one's existence were unrelated to fears of death and dying of oneself or of others in thls study. Perhaps those with ontological insecurity are not concerned with death because they are not yet convinced of life? REFERENCES LAING,R. D. The divided self. New York: Pantheon, 1969. LESTER,D. The Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale. Death Studies, 1990, 14, 451-468. LESTER,D., & THINSCHMIDT, J. The relationship of Laing's conce t of ontological insecurity to extraversion and neuroticism. Personalily and Individual Llgrences, 1988, 9, 687-688. Accepted October 29, 1992.
'Address enquiries to D. Lester, Ph.D., Psychology Program, Richard Stockton State College, Pomona, NJ 08240.
