Title: Perceptions of Death and the Effects of Emotion
Headings: 
Perceptions of Death and the Effects of Emotion
Gender and Coping
Aids vs. Leukemia
Optimism vs. Pessimism
Education about Death
Method
Participants
Instructions
Materials and Testing Instruments
Results
Hypothesis 1: Gender and Coping

Content: Once the person realizes that denying the loss will not make it go away, individuals often become angry (Gard, 2000). Sadness, anger, happiness, fear, surprise, hope, contentment, and peacefulness are a few examples of adjectives used to describe how we view death based on the circumstances of the death. The subject of death is taboo in our society. This situation contributes to the difficulties many have in accepting and coping with the death of a loved one, impeding the process of grief and bereavement. When people refer to death as “passing away”, “moving on”, or “going to a better place” they are disguising death through euphemistic language. Many people live by the myth that if death is not talked about; it will pass without the pain associated with the loss of a loved one. This only serves to prolong the grieving process, which can result in the stages of death not being resolved. How people mourn and grieve depends on many factors in their lives, including but not limited to the following: gender, beliefs about death, personality type, and perception of the loss.