USING METAPHORS TO ASSESS ANTICIPATORY PERCEPTIONS OF PERSONAL DEATH

The Revised Death Fantasy Scale (RDFS) is an 18-item measure based on metaphors of personal death. It was constructed to assess psychologica l aspects of contemplating personal death, at levels of awareness less conscious than those tapped by conventional self-report measures. It contains two subscales: Positive Metaphors and Negative Metaphors. In several studies the RDFS has shown evidence of reliability and validit y. The scale may be potentially useful in health-related research and in the training and support of individuals whose work is related to de ath and dying.