THEORETICAL REVIEW OF MODERN FOREIGN STUDIES OF ATTITUDE TOWARDS DEATH

Abstract

The article presents an analysis of the main modern theoretical concepts of attitudes to death. Terror management theory considers the fear of death as a universal phenomenon, the basic motive of human behavior. This approach has developed a dual defensive mechanism against death anxiety: proximal defense as denial, distraction from the problem of death, and distal defense as self-esteem and cultural worldview. Meaning management and death acceptance theory considers the problem of attitude to death in the context of the meaning of life. The conditions and factors of increasing the death-thoughts accessibility and death anxiety were systematized. The consequences of the death anxiety for the personality and human behavior were summarized. The research of attitude to suicide and euthanasia, professional, age and gender differences were considered. The study difficulties of attitude to death were discussed.