Disgust Sensitivity Accounts for Some But Not All Gender Differences in Death Attitudes

The present study investigated whether gender differences in death attitudes could be attributable to social desirability, locus of control, and disgust sensitivity. A total of 238 university students completed the Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale and the Revised Death Attitude Profile in addition to measures of social desirability, locus of control, and disgust sensitivity. Women scored higher than men on many of the fear dimensions and also on approach and escape acceptance. There were no gender differences on locus of control or social desirability, but women reported more disgust sensitivity than did men. Locus of control was unrelated to any death attitudes. Social desirability was associated only with less reported fear of premature death. Disgust sensitivity was associated with all death attitudes except neutral acceptance. Some but not all of the gender differences in death attitudes were no longer significant when controlling for disgust sensitivity.