This paper is a literature review of the main research into the factors which influence children's conceptions of death. The developmental models of children's concepts of death as proposed by Maria H. Nagy and Sylvia Anthony are examined first. These researchers show that children go through developmental stages in their understanding of death, which is related to their age. Jean Piaget's model of cognitive development is used to assess the validity of Nagy and Anthony's claims, as this is a widely accepted index for issues of the cognitive development of children. Piaget's model appears to support the findings of Nagy and Anthony.
             These classic works are followed by the contemporary research of Barbara Kane as she examines how Nagy and Anthony's research is viewed today. She is able to support their developmental models, however she disagrees with Nagy's findings of children tending to personify death. Gerald P. Koocher's research is examined next as he attempts to quantify the factors influencing children's concepts of death. He finds strong empirical evidence which links Piaget's developmental framework to the development of the children's conceptualizations of death. He also notes that culture is an important factor which influences the conceptualization. The research of Tallmer et al is also discussed, as it finds evidence that children of different socio-economic backgrounds will have different concepts of death. Finally the research of Tamm and Granqvist is discussed, as they show that there are gender differences in the conceptualization of death.
             Factors Influencing Children's Conceptualizations of Death
             This paper is a literature review of the main research into the factors which influence children's conceptions of death. The developmental models of children's concepts of death as proposed by Maria H. Nagy and Sylvia Anthony are examined fir...