Scale Analysis

The Death Attitude Profile Questionnaire has been translated and standardized for the Greek population. The original DAP-R questionnaire was developed in 1964 by Wong, P.T.P., Reker, G.T., and Gesser, G. It consists of 32 questions and is divided into five subscales. Respondents answer using a seven-point Likert scale, ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.”

Purpose of the Questionnaire

The purpose of the Death Attitude Profile Questionnaire is to evaluate individuals’ attitudes toward death, focusing on areas such as fear of death, acceptance of death, avoidance of death-related thoughts, concern about the dying process, and reactions to the death of others. It also explores emotions and thoughts about the death of other people. Example questions include statements like, “The idea of my loved ones dying upsets me greatly” and “I can’t bear the thought of losing people close to me.” The questionnaire is applied in various fields. In clinical psychology, it is used for diagnosing and treating death anxiety. In research, it helps explore death-related attitudes across different populations and cultures. In educational contexts, it serves to understand death-related attitudes and inform program development. In healthcare, it supports both patients and their families in the context of serious or terminal illness.

Scoring

Scoring the Death Attitude Profile involves ensuring the accuracy, reliability, and interpretability of the scores. The items are grouped into subscales corresponding to fear of death, death avoidance, neutral acceptance, approach acceptance, and escape acceptance. According to Bellali et al. (2018), the Greek version includes six subscales: fear of death, death avoidance, neutral acceptance, approach acceptance, escape acceptance, and afterlife concerns.

Statistical Analysis

Analyzing the DAP is a systematic process that evaluates attitudes and behaviors toward death. It incorporates multiple dimensions, including fear and acceptance, to form a comprehensive picture of death-related attitudes.

Validity and Reliability

In terms of reliability, Cronbach’s alpha was calculated at 0.85, indicating strong internal consistency. The test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.80, showing good temporal stability. Regarding validity, content validity was confirmed by a panel of experts who agreed that the questions adequately covered the components of death anxiety. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed three factors that together explained 70% of the total variance. Convergent validity was supported by strong correlations with other death anxiety instruments (r = 0.75), while discriminant validity was supported by low correlations with unrelated constructs (r = 0.20). These results demonstrate that the Death Attitude Profile (DAP) is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing death-related attitudes.

References

Frommelt KH. Attitudes toward care of the terminally ill: an educational intervention. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care. 2003 Jan-Feb; 20(1):13–22.stability. Regarding validity, content validity was confirmed by a panel of experts who agreed that the questions adequately covered the components of death anxiety. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed three factors that together explained 70% of the total variance. Convergent validity was supported by strong correlations with other death anxiety instruments (r = 0.75), while discriminant validity was supported by low correlations with unrelated constructs (r = 0.20). These results demonstrate that the Death Attitude Profile (DAP) is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing death-related attitudes.