RELATIONAL VS SELF-FOCUSED DEATH ANXIETY: BIG FIVE CORRELATES IN AN ALBANIAN COMMUNITY SAMPLE

Abstract

Background: Most evidence on Big Five correlates of death anxiety comes from Western samples, leaving cross-cultural generalizability uncertain. We tested whether trait–mortality links replicate in Albania while separating fear of one’s own death from fear of others’ death. Method: Albanian adults (N = 530; 80% female; age 18–58, M = 24.9) completed the BFI-2-S and the revised Collett–Lester Fear of Death Scale (two 7-item subscales). Analyses prioritized effect sizes (95% confidence intervals), correction for multiple testing, and equivalence testing to interpret null associations. Results: Neuroticism related to fear of one’s own death (r = .17, 95% CI [.09, .26]) and Agreeableness related to fear of others’ death (r = .13, 95% CI [.05, .21]); both survived Bonferroni correction (p < .005). Other traits showed small, non-significant associations; Conscientiousness and Openness (for fear of own death) were statistically equivalent to negligible effects (|r| < .10). Descriptively, fear of others’ death was substantially higher than fear of one’s own death (M = 4.20 vs 2.98 on a 1–5 scale), suggesting a relationally weighted mortality concern. Religious affiliation did not differentiate either dimension. Conclusion: Trait correlates of death anxiety appear dimension-specific in Albania, with notable emphasis on relational mortality fear; longitudinal work is needed to test mechanisms and temporal ordering.