Delay of Gratification, Gender Role Attitudes, and Death Reflections Predict Death Anxiety.

This article investigates psychosocial predictors of Death Anxiety (DA), defined as distress related to thoughts of mortality, focusing on Delay of Gratification (DG), egalitarian gender role attitudes, and Death Reflections (DR)—positive goals arising from contemplating death. In a sample of 131 U.S. adults, greater DG, more egalitarian attitudes toward gender roles, and higher engagement with DR were each associated with lower DA, independent of age and gender identity, which themselves were not significant predictors when these psychosocial variables were considered. The findings suggest that self-regulation and prosocial, equity-oriented attitudes may reduce baseline DA, highlighting potential targets for interventions aimed at alleviating existential distress. Limitations include the sample's demographic homogeneity, data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic, and absence of personality measures, indicating the need for further research with more diverse populations and additional variables.