The study was conducted as a Master’s Thesis to examine the relationship between the level of death anxiety (loosely based on the definition provided by Solecka, 2011) and the level of quest religious orientation (Batson, Ventis, 1982) among the group of 99 2nd and 3rd year psychology students at Ignatianum University (UIK). The study was carried out in a quantitive approach, using the paper-and-pencil method. The respondents have filled out 4 questionnaires: Death Anxiety and Fascination Scale (Żemojtel-Piotrowska, Piotrowski, 2009), QRI questionnaire (Krzysztof-Świderska et. al., 2023), Religious Orientation Scale (SOR, Socha, 2003) and polish adaptation of STAI questionnaire (Wrześniewski et al., 2011). The first hypothesis stated that the death anxiety variable (Death Anxiety subscale of the Death Anxiety and Fascination Scale) is related to quest religious orientation variable as measured by the Quest Orientation for the Quest Orientation subscale of the Religious Orientation Scale. The second one stated that death anxiety is related to the quest variable as it was included in the QRI, i.e. after separating the religious quest based on experienced doubts. The third one assumes that the level of trait anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) is related to with the level of death anxiety (Death Anxiety subscale of the Death Anxiety and Fascination Scale). None of the hypotheses put forward were confirmed. Death fascination variable didn’t relate to variables related to quest religious orientation either. The result which is the basis for revising the theories that attribute the cause of religious quest and spirituality to existential issues.
Quest religious orientation, death anxiety and death fascination. Relationship analysis among Ignatianum University students.