Death Transcendence Scale – DTS
Measures the cognitive and experiential ways individuals seek to transcend death and achieve a sense of immortality.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Death Transcendence Scale – DTS was developed by Ralph W. Hood Jr., Ronald J. Morris, Larry VandeCreek, Sandra Nye (1983, 1993). It is designed to measure Death Transcendence. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 26 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Mysticism, Religious, Nature, Creative, Biosocial.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Mysticism | 1,2,3,4,5 | 5 |
| Religious | 6,7,8,9,10 | 5 |
| Nature | 11,12,13,14,15 | 5 |
| Creative | 16,17,18,19,20 | 5 |
| Biosocial | 21,22,23,24,25,26 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Agree, 4 = Strongly Agree.
The scale includes 3 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ranges from .51 to .84 across subscales.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 8 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.