Children''s cognition and emotion of death

• Main Authors: Lin, Tzeng-Jeng, 林烝增
• Other Authors: Chang Ying-Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1997
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/39492904781484135049

碩士 === 中國文化大學 === 兒童福利研究所 === 85 === The purposes of this research are to explore the children''s cognition of death , the factors which influence the cognition, and the reaction of death.The research employs qualitative method ,and individual interview, focus group , drawing ,and story-talking are used to collect data. The interviewees were 23 girls and boys（ages 9 to 12）.The researcher uses prolonged engagement, persistent observation, triangulation, referential adequacy materials, peer debriefing , member check , and reflexive journal ,and thick description to establish the trustworthiness and authenticity of the research.According to the interviewing data , the researcher induces children''s cognition of death to "physical death concept" and "metaphysical death concept". The meaning of "physical death concept" is children understand biological ,scientific or natural death concept. It contains four sub-concepts, including "everyone will die.", "a dead person can''t come back to life.", "breathless, colorless, immobile", and "why people die？Is it natural？Is it fated？".In the other hand ,"metaphysical death concept" means religious ,or enigmatic concept of death. It contains five sub- concepts ,including "death is ending and beginning", "bogy catches someone, and he will die.", "soul runs up and down.", "there is another world after death.", and "Hades'' judgment mirror and merit-fault book".The factors related to children''s death cognition include age, religious ,belief ,culture, experience about death ,and various origins of information come from school education ,teachers ,parents and the other relatives , classmates, and TV ,medium, and child''s books. As to children'' s reaction of death, the researcher have found that when grandparents die, children will feel reject , doubt, confused, curious, no special emotion , sorry and sympathy, sorrow and sad , helpless and ignored. When children''s good friends die，they will feel reject, shock and doubt, sad sorrow, and anger. When child''s pets die, they will also feel reject, shock and doubt, sad and sorrow, fear and afraid, self-condemned and anger with others. Most of the children express anxiety when they think about the death of their relatives and themselves . Beside , the researcher also found that children have different attitude toward life.As the results and findings in the research, the researcher makes some substantiate claims and suggestions to parents, teachers, school ,social workers, counselors, institution. Based on the result and limits in the research, the researcher offers some suggestions about research method ,problem , and subject for following studies.