Related Experiment Videos
Death obsession in Palestinians.
Ahmed M Abdel-Khalek1, Nahida S Al-Arja, Taysir Abdalla
1Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 68168 Kaifan, Code No. 71962, Kuwait. ahmedkuniv@hotmail.com
Death Studies
|February 9, 2006
Summary
Palestinians in the Bethlehem area showed lower death obsession levels compared to other Arab samples, suggesting adaptation to conflict. Women
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Middle Eastern Studies
Background:
- The study examines death obsession in Palestinians living in conflict zones.
- Many participants experienced house demolitions due to ongoing conflict.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the level and correlates of death obsession among Palestinians.
- To compare death obsession scores between Palestinian men and women.
- To compare Palestinian scores with those from other Arab and Western countries.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 601 Palestinians from Beit Jala, Al-Khader, and Aida refugee camp participated.
- The Death Obsession Scale (DOS) was used, demonstrating high internal consistency (alpha = .92).
- Factor analysis revealed differences in scale structure between men and women.
Main Results:
- Palestinian men and women scored significantly lower on the DOS compared to participants from Egypt, Kuwait, Syria, and Lebanon.
- Palestinian women's scores were higher than those from Spain, the USA, and Britain.
- Palestinian men's scores were higher than their Spanish counterparts.
Conclusions:
- Lower death obsession scores in Palestinians, relative to other Arab samples, may indicate adaptation to prolonged strife and violence.
- The study highlights cultural and contextual factors influencing death obsession.