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Open research questions in Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion

51 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,154 Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Finally, sample size was determined using a rule-of-thumb approach rather than an SEM-specific ARTICLE IN PRESS ARTICLE IN PRESS power analysis; although the final sample (n = 452) was relatively large, future studies should consider power-based sample size determination tailored to the planned path model.

    The association of positive and negative affect with care dependence in elderly patients with senile cataract: the mediating role of self-regulatory fatigue · 2026 · DOI

  • The study used a small, non-random convenience sample from 1 region of Poland, which limits generalizability and increases uncertainty around effect estimates. The cross-sectional design precludes causal inference. Because recruitment relied on open invitations (mailing lists/posters), a response rate could not be established and self-selection bias is possible. Several subscales showed internal consistency below the conventional 0.70 threshold (e.g., MLQ Presence, PIL freedom and responsibility, MentS-O), which may have attenuated associations. Although age and gender were included as covariates in the regression models and multicollinearity was assessed (VIF approx. 1.01–2.15), other potential confounders (e.g., burnout, distress, empathy, religiosity, social support) were not measured. Multiple testing was conducted in the correlational analyses; although the false discovery rate was controlled using the Benjamini–Hochberg procedure, replication in larger and more diverse samples remains necessary.

    Ability to mentalize and the sense of meaning in life in the professional group of nurses: a cross-sectional study · 2026 · DOI

  • Although we obtained the results of mutual negative predictions between ostracism and meaning in life, as hypothesized earlier, there are still aspects of this study that require improvement. First, While this study utilized longitudinal data, it’s important to note that both the assessment of meaning in life and ostracism relied on self-reported paper-and-pencil sur- veys. Future research endeavors could try to replicate the results of our study using experi- mental methodologies. Second, post-hoc power analysis showed that the power of certain paths was relatively low, so caution is still needed when interpreting the results of these paths (e.g., the differ- ences in the effects of meaning in life on being excluded and being ignored). Although a sample size of 906 participants is generally considered large, given the substantial fluctua- tions in path effect sizes within the model results of this study, a larger sample would be necessary for future research aiming to obtain more robust results. Third, the current study was conducted with a predominantly female sample, which may limit the generalisability of the findings across genders. Although gender was statistically controlled in the main analyses and additional models were tested without this control, certain gender effects were still observed at specific time points. Furthermore, gender-spe- cific cross-lagged models produced unstable estimates, likely due to insufficient subgroup sample sizes. Nevertheless, we still believe that gender could be a variable influencing the dynamic relationship between ostracism and meaning in life. In addition to gender, ostra- 1 3The Bidirectional Relationship Between Meaning in Life and Ostracism:… 71 Page 14 of 18 cism, meaning in life, and their associations may also be related to other variables such as personality traits, positive and negative affect, anxiety, self-esteem, and independent versus interdependent self-construal. Future research could explore how individual differences in these variables affect the relationship between ostracism and meaning in life. Despite these limitations, this study offers longitudinal evidence that emphasizes the bidirectional relationship between meaning in life and ostracism. This revelation deep- ens our comprehension of the importance of meaning in life and paves the way for novel approaches to tackling the negative repercussions of ostracism.

    The Bidirectional Relationship Between Meaning in Life and Ostracism: Insights from a Four-Wave Cross-Lagged Study · 2026 · DOI

  • Previous studies have demonstrated that religiosity may be a predictive factor for anxiety related to death among adults amid the COVID-19 pandemic; however, current study variables have not been examined among Palestinians.

    The Correlation Between Religiosity and Death Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Palestine · 2022 · DOI

  • However, it has not been determined if DA is associated with Delay of Gratification (DG; a tendency to forgo immediate rewards to receive a more favorable outcome in the future), attitudes toward gender roles (as compared to gender identity itself), and Death Reflections (DR; positive goals that occur when contemplating death).

    Delay of Gratification, Gender Role Attitudes, and Death Reflections Predict Death Anxiety · 2022 · DOI

  • Research has shown that fear associated with ongoing terrorism threat can manifest as terrorism catastrophization (TC), however, factors that predict or moderate TC remain under investigated.

    Terrorism catastrophization: An investigation of predicting and moderating factors · 2017 · DOI

  • Research has shown that mortality salience (MS) increases worldview defense, however, there are conflicting results concerning how trait self-esteem moderates this effect.

    The Effects of Trait Self-Esteem and Death Cognitions on Worldview Defense and Search for Meaning · 2013 · DOI

  • However, extant research is inconclusive on several empirical issues, such as DA's relation to HIV/AIDS diagnostic status, the impact of illness-related symptoms on DA, and factors that may protect against DA.

    Death Anxiety in Persons with HIV/AIDS: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis · 2012 · DOI

  • While the combination of these approaches offers a comprehensive picture of our emotional life, recent research data points to the crucial role of evaluative beliefs in emotion formation, being widely accepted that as long as representations remain unevaluated, they are insufficient to produce emotions (Lazarus, 1991; Lazarus & Smith, 1988).

    Irrational Beliefs, Thought Suppression and Distress - a Mediation Analysis · 2006

  • The author uses the term depraved loneliness to represent the spiritual (or “soul”) sickness alluded to in Alcoholics Anonymous (Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, 1976), arguing that combining these 2 terms to form a single paradigm has not been examined.

    Issues and Insights: The Synergy of Depravity and Loneliness in Alcoholism: A New Conceptualization, an Old Problem · 2002 · DOI

  • While little is known about the antecedents or aftereffects of these distressing experiences, there appear to be three distinct types, involving (1) phenomenology similar to peaceful near-death experiences but interpreted as unpleasant, (2) a sense of nonexistence or eternal void, or (3) graphic hellish landscapes and entities.

    Distressing Near-Death Experiences · 1992 · DOI

  • The inverse relationship between a particular aspect of death anxiety and the response set of social desirability for nurses in this study was discussed in light of corroborative findings by other investigators, as well as in terms of its implications for further studies of death anxiety among health professionals.

    Death Anxiety and Social Desirability among Nurses · 1983 · DOI

  • n The topic of the role that force has played in history-a role that has always involved some form of destruction-is a comprehensive one and goes far beyond the scope of this paper; yet this much may be said: it is necessary to inquire whether or not "history" on this planet is actually possible without collective aggression of some type. It may he that, in those early phases, human aggression was animal like, limited to the context of self-preservation.

    Death Drive, Ambivalence, and Narcissism · 1971 · DOI

  • 329), Melanie Klein remarks that claustrophobic anxiety, in some forms, appears to be connected with the idea of being shut up within the mother, which may be then deflected and limited to the genital, so that it consists in a fear of being unable to disengage the penis.

    Claustrophobia · 1935 · DOI

  • Introduction While social media enriches senior tourists’ travel experiences, its psychological adverse impacts remain understudied.

    Guarding serenity in the digital age: mindfulness as a buffer against social media-induced psychological discomfort in older tourists · 2026 · DOI

  • Death anxiety arousal, provoked by anticipating self-nonexistence, may be used as a fraud tactic by scammers on older adults; however, little is known about how it affects older adults' decision making when confronted with a scam and the mechanisms underlying these effects.

    Death anxiety and older adults’ vulnerability to fraud: the mediating role of materialism · 2024 · DOI

  • Gaslighting is an understudied form of psychological violence aimed to reduce victims' autonomy, decision-making ability, security, and belief in their own perceptions.

    Gaslighting Experience, Psychological Health, and Well-being: The Role of Self-Compassion and Social Support · 2024 · DOI

  • Abstract Despite their growing popularity, little is known about the psychological effects of participating in past-life meditation groups in contemporary western contexts.

    Past Life Meditation Decreases Existential Death Anxiety and Increases Meaning in Life among Individuals Who Believe in the Paranormal · 2023 · DOI

  • To fill this gap in knowledge, the present study explores the effect of disease threat on a particular sensory preference of consumers, that is, a preference for colorfulness.

    Getting away from death fear: How disease threat drives consumers' colorfulness seeking · 2023 · DOI

  • The data largely supported hypotheses 1, 2, and 4 while the results for hypothesis 3 were opposite of expectations, suggesting that clinical research with psychedelic-induced MTEs may not be generalizable to MTEs experienced outside the supportive therapeutic context.

    Differences in Existential Perspectives as a Function of Having a Mystical-Type Experience · 2023 · DOI

  • These results suggest that expectations alone may not suffice to buffer immediate need threat or negative affect after exclusion, and illuminate how prior seemingly contradictory evidence may align well.

    Expecting exclusion: Does bracing for the worst buffer the pain of social exclusion? · 2022 · DOI

  • A novelty of the study is the inclusion of variables that have not been analyzed before in the context of prison inmates’ metaphysical quality of life or quality of life in general: intensity of religious attitude and curiosity.

    Metaphysical quality of life and its correlates in prisoners · 2020 · DOI

  • We outline the gaps in the literature to set a research agenda for promoting our understanding of how emotion regulation processes can shape the various decisions that are made by persons with dementia on a daily basis.

    Emotion regulation and decision-making in persons with dementia: A scoping review · 2020 · DOI

  • Older adults' comparatively fewer remaining years and greater likelihood of having significant health problems may result in greater intentions to promote health following mortality reminders, but little is known about their proximal defenses and existing results are inconsistent.

    The effects of age and death awareness on intentions for healthy behaviours · 2013 · DOI

  • Existential therapy is often opaque to many therapists, in part due to the lack of consensus on what constitutes its practice, limited published practical examples, and few empirical studies examining its efficacy.

    Terror Management Theory Applied Clinically: Implications for Existential-Integrative Psychotherapy · 2013 · DOI

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51 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,154 Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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