Concept of death in a sample of Israeli kibbutz children

The study of children's concept of death and factors that affect its acquis ition continue to evolve. In this study, the concept of death of 22 Israeli children (aged 5-12 years), were assessed using vignettes. Participants' u nderstanding of finality, universality, inevitability, and total concept of death were explored using the Concept of Death Assessment (CODA). The chil d's developmental level was assessed using an interactive developmental too l based on a Piagetian/constructivist framework (R. B. Sund, 1976). Develop ment was scored as a continuous, rather than as a dichotomous variable. In this sample, age was the only significant predictor of concept of death (p < .01). Children had an accurate concept of death as young as 6 years, howe ver, it was not possible to determine an upper age limit by which children had an accurate concept of death, The mean developmental score was 64.8% +/ - 18.7. Still, 45% of this sample had an accurate concept of death, and 95. 5% had an accurate understanding of finality. Environmental factors unique to an Israeli sample that might affect concept acquisition are explored. Qu estions remain about the interrelationship of development and concept acqui sition.