Benue State University, Makurdi

PERSONALITY TRAITS AND SOCIAL SUPPORT AS PREDICTORS OF DEATH ANXIETY AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN BENUE STATE UNIVERSITY

Reuben L. Ibaishwa, Martha S. Kudzah, Michael Oibiokpa & Martins T. Kudzah
(Department of Psychology, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria +2347062663826, uchoaondoaver@yahoo.com)

Abstract

The study investigated personality traits and social support as predictors of death anxiety among undergraduates in Benue State University. An ex post facto research design was adopted. Seven hundred and sixteen (716) undergraduates participated in the study. 62.7% of the participants were male while 37.3% were female. Their age ranged from 17 to 28 years with mean age of 24.8 years. Data were collected using The Big Five Inventory, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and Death Anxiety Scale. The result of the multiple regression analyses showed that personality traits are significant predictor of death anxiety. Extraversion neuroticism and openness were found to positively predict death anxiety while agreeableness and conscientiousness negatively predict death anxiety. Findings also showed that social support do not predict death anxiety. The implications of these results to research and clinical practice were discussed. It was concluded that this study extended death anxiety to neglected group when discussing death anxiety as much of the result on death anxiety is focused on terminal or chronic illness individuals neglecting undergraduate students.

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