The Impact of Self-Narrative Framing of a Close Person’s Sudden Death on Coping With the Meaning in Life

Figures & data

Figure 1. The conceptualized design of the study. Experimental condition or degree of narratization function as moderators of the relationship between measurement occasions and psychological variables.

Figure 2. Interaction effect of time and experimental condition on state anxiety.

Figure 3. Interaction effect of time and experimental condition on trait anxiety.

Figure 4. Interaction effect of time and experimental condition on purpose in life.

Figure 5. Interaction effect of time and experimental condition on stress related growth.

Figure 6. Interaction effect of time and experimental condition on intrinsic religious orientation.

Figure 7. Interaction effect of time and experimental condition on extrinsic religious orientation.

Figure 8. Interaction effect of time and experimental condition on quest religious orientation.

Table 1. Descriptive statistics and r-Pearson correlation coefficients for study variables separately for different measurement occasions.

Models	N	Min	Max	M	SD	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Time 1
1. Anxiety state	68	22.00	63.00	40.66	10.22	−
2. Anxiety trait	68	27.00	67.00	44.76	8.61	.67***	−
3. Purpose in life	67	64.00	129.00	102.63	14.18	−.33**	−.46***	–
4. Stress-related growth	68	42.00	81.00	59.82	7.27	−.26*	−.36**	.53***	–
5. Intrinsic religious orientation	68	9.00	42.00	23.76	8.37	−.13	−.03	.11	−.10	–
6. Extrinsic religious orientation	68	16.00	39.00	28.12	5.80	−.09	.05	−.17	−.15	.19	–
7. Quest religious orientation	68	19.00	46.00	33.81	6.60	−.13	.01	−.09	.04	.40**	.41***	–
8. Experimental condition (1–experimental group)	68	0.00	1.00	–	–	−.03	.01	.08	−.14	.07	−.02	−.02	–
9. Narratization	46	1.00	7.00	4.85	1.78	−.11	−.25	.32*	.09	−.25	−.11	−.35*	n/a	–
Time 2
1. Anxiety state	65	21.00	60.00	38.83	10.66	–
2. Anxiety trait	63	25.00	66.00	43.48	8.58	.71***	–
3. Purpose in life	66	47.00	129.00	103.56	17.14	−.50***	−.68***	–
4. Stress-related growth	65	48.00	84.00	61.82	8.03	−.37**	−.53***	.51***	–
5. Intrinsic religious orientation	67	9.00	45.00	24.13	8.93	−.23	−.19	.16	.32**	–
6. Extrinsic religious orientation	67	17.00	41.00	28.33	5.74	−.01	.09	−.26*	−.22	.24	–
7. Quest religious orientation	67	19.00	47.00	34.18	6.85	−.18	−.14	.00	.12	.30*	.50***	–
8. Experimental condition (1–experimental group)	68	0.00	1.00	−	−	−.07	−.07	.05	−.09	−.03	−.16	−.12	–
9. Narratization	46	1.00	7.00	4.85	1.78	−.08	−.29	.38*	.10	−.15	−.14	.02	n/a	–

Note. n/a: not applicable.

^†p < .10; *p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001.

Table 2. Results of repeated measures moderation analyses with moderation effects of experimental group on relationship between time and anxiety, purpose in life, stress-related growth, and religious orientations.

	Control vs. Experimental
Models	B	SE	t	p	95% CI		F	df	p	R^2
					LO	HI
Model – Anxiety state
Predicting state anxiety decrease
Group (1 – experimental)	−1.68	1.78	−0.94	.349	−5.23	1.87	0.89	1, 63	.349	.01
Conditional effects at values of moderator
Group – control	−0.30	1.48	−0.20	.840	−3.25	2.65
Group – experimental	−1.98*	0.99	−2.01	.049	−3.95	−0.01
Conditional effects of moderator on Y in each condition
Time 1	−0.01	2.79	−0.00	.997	−999.00	−999.00	0.00	1, 63	.997	< .01
Time 2	−1.69	2.88	−0.59	.560	−999.00	−999.00	0.34	1, 63	.560	.01
Model – Anxiety trait
Predicting state anxiety decrease
Group (1 – experimental)	−2.03†	1.15	−1.77	.082	−4.34	0.27	3.12	1, 61	.082	.05
Conditional effects at values of moderator
Group – control	0.15	0.95	0.16	.875	−1.75	2.05
Group – experimental	−1.88**	0.65	−2.90	.005	−3.18	−0.59
Conditional effects of moderator on Y in each condition
Time 1	0.83	2.37	0.35	.729	−999.00	−999.00	0.12	1, 61	.729	< .01
Time 2	−1.21	2.34	−0.52	.607	−999.00	−999.00	0.27	1, 61	.607	< .01
Model – Purpose in life
Predicting purpose in life increase
Group (1 – experimental)	0.67	1.75	0.38	.704	−2.83	4.17	0.15	1, 62	.704	< .01
Conditional effects at values of moderator
Group – control	1.65	1.45	1.14	.260	−1.25	4.55
Group – experimental	2.32*	0.98	2.37	.021	0.36	4.27
Conditional effects of moderator on Y in each condition
Time 1	3.88	3.75	1.04	.304	−999.00	−999.00	1.07	1, 62	.304	.02
Time 2	4.55	3.79	1.20	.234	−999.00	−999.00	1.44	1, 62	.234	.02
Model – Stress related growth
Predicting stress related growth increase
Group (1 – experimental)	0.24	1.86	0.13	.896	−3.48	3.97	0.02	1, 63	.896	< .01
Conditional effects at values of moderator
Group – control	2.00	1.55	1.29	.202	−1.10	5.10
Group – experimental	2.24*	1.03	2.17	.034	0.18	4.31
Conditional effects of moderator on Y in each condition
Time 1	−1.74	1.97	−0.88	.381	−999.00	−999.00	0.78	1, 63	.381	.01
Time 2	−1.49	2.17	−0.69	.493	−999.00	−999.00	0.48	1, 63	.493	.01
Model – Intrinsic religious orientation
Predicting intrinsic religious orientation
Group (1 – experimental)	−2.22†	1.13	−1.96	.054	−4.48	0.04	3.85	1, 65	.054	.06
Conditional effects at values of moderator
Group – control	2.00*	0.94	2.14	.037	0.13	3.87
Group – experimental	−0.22	0.63	−0.34	.732	−1.48	1.05
Conditional effects of moderator on Y in each condition
Time 1	1.65	2.22	0.74	.459	−999.00	−999.00	0.55	1, 65	.459	.01
Time 2	−0.57	2.37	−0.24	.812	−999.00	−999.00	0.06	1, 65	.812	.01
Model – Extrinsic religious orientation
Predicting extrinsic religious orientation
Group (1 – experimental)	−1.78†	0.92	−1.94	.057	−3.62	0.05	3.76	1, 65	.057	.05
Conditional effects at values of moderator
Group – control	1.48†	0.76	1.94	.057	−0.04	3.00
Group – experimental	−0.30	0.51	−0.59	.556	−1.33	0.72
Conditional effects of moderator on Y in each condition
Time 1	−0.17	1.55	−0.11	.914	−999.00	−999.00	0.01	1, 65	.914	<.01
Time 2	−1.95	1.50	−1.30	.199	−999.00	−999.00	1.68	1, 65	.199	.03
Model – Quest religious orientation
Predicting quest religious orientation
Group (1 – experimental)	−1.39	1.57	−0.89	.379	−4.54	1.75	0.79	1, 65	.379	.01
Conditional effects at values of moderator
Group – control	1.29	1.30	0.99	.328	−1.32	3.89
Group – experimental	−0.11	0.88	−0.12	.902	−1.87	1.65
Conditional effects of moderator on Y in each condition
Time 1	−0.36	1.76	−0.20	.840	−999.00	−999.00	0.04	1, 65	.840	.01
Time 2	−1.75	1.80	−0.97	.335	−999.00	−999.00	0.94	1, 65	.335	.01

Note. The subtraction for time effects on dependent variables had order of Y₂ – Y₁, so a positive coefficient would be related to increase and a negative coefficient would be related to decrease in DV over time.

^†p < .10; *p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001.

Table 3. Results of repeated-measures moderation analyses with moderation effects of narratization on relationship between time and anxiety, purpose in life, stress-related growth, and religious orientations.

	Narratization
Models	B	SE	t	p	95% CI		F	df	p	R^2
					LO	HI
Model – Anxiety state
Predicting state anxiety decrease
Narratization	−0.04	0.67	−0.07	.948	−1.39	1.30	0.004	1, 43	.948	<.01
Conditional effects at values of moderator
Mean – 1SD	−1.90	1.64	−1.16	.252	−5.20	1.40
Mean	−1.98†	1.15	−1.72	.093	−4.30	0.34
Mean + 1SD	−2.05	1.64	−1.25	.216	−5.36	1.25
Conditional effects of moderator on Y in each condition
Time 1	−0.45	0.84	−0.53	.596	−999.00	−999.00	0.29	1, 43	.596	.01
Time 2	−0.49	0.90	−0.55	.588	−999.00	−999.00	0.30	1, 43	.588	.01
Model – Anxiety trait
Predicting trait anxiety decrease
Narratization	0.11	0.42	0.25	.800	−0.74	0.96	0.06	1, 41	.800	<.01
Conditional effects at values of moderator
Mean – 1SD	−2.07†	1.02	−2.02	.050	−4.14	0.00
Mean	−1.88*	0.72	−2.62	.012	−3.34	−0.43
Mean + 1SD	−1.70	1.02	−1.66	.105	−3.77	0.37
Conditional effects of moderator on Y in each condition
Time 1	−1.55*	0.72	−2.17	.036	−999.00	−999.00	4.69	1, 41	.036	.10
Time 2	−1.45†	0.74	−1.96	.057	−999.00	−999.00	3.83	1, 41	.057	.09
Model – Purpose in life
Predicting purpose in life increase
Narratization	0.17	0.64	0.26	.794	1.11	1.45	0.07	1, 42	.794	<.01
Conditional effects at values of moderator
Mean – 1SD	2.03	1.55	1.31	.198	−1.10	5.16
Mean	2.32*	1.09	2.12	.040	0.12	4.52
Mean + 1SD	2.61†	1.55	1.68	.100	−0.52	5.74
Conditional effects of moderator on Y in each condition
Time 1	1.56	0.99	1.58	.122	−999.00	−999.00	2.49	1, 42	.122	.07
Time 2	1.73†	1.01	1.72	.093	−999.00	−999.00	2.95	1, 42	.093	.07
Model – Stress related growth
Predicting stress related growth increase
Narratization	0.08	0.57	0.13	.895	−1.07	1.22	0.02	1, 43	.895	<.01
Conditional effects at values of moderator
Mean – 1SD	2.11	1.44	1.47	.150	−0.79	5.01
Mean	2.24*	1.01	2.22	.032	0.20	4.28
Mean + 1SD	2.38	1.44	1.65	.105	−0.52	5.28
Conditional effects of moderator on Y in each condition
Time 1	0.36	0.60	0.61	.543	−999.00	−999.00	0.38	1, 43	.543	.01
Time 2	0.44	0.65	0.67	.505	−999.00	−999.00	0.45	1, 43	.505	.01
Model – Intrinsic religious orientation
Predicting intrinsic religious orientation
Narratization	0.46	0.33	1.39	.173	−0.21	1.13	1.92	1, 44	.173	.04
Conditional effects at values of moderator
Mean – 1SD	−1.04	0.83	−1.25	.219	−2.71	0.64
Mean	−0.22	0.58	−0.37	.712	−1.40	0.96
Mean + 1SD	0.60	0.83	0.72	.473	−1.07	2.28
Conditional effects of moderator on Y in each condition
Time 1	−1.19†	0.69	−1.73	.091	−999.00	−999.00	3.01	1, 44	.091	.06
Time 2	−0.73	0.74	−0.99	.328	−999.00	−999.00	0.98	1, 44	.328	.02
Model – Extrinsic religious orientation
Predicting extrinsic religious orientation
Narratization	−0.06	0.32	−0.20	.843	−0.71	0.59	0.04	1, 44	.843	<.01
Conditional effects at values of moderator
Mean – 1SD	−0.19	0.81	−0.24	.815	−1.81	1.43
Mean	−0.30	0.57	−0.54	.594	−1.45	0.84
Mean + 1SD	−0.42	0.81	−0.52	.606	−2.04	1.20
Conditional effects of moderator on Y in each condition
Time 1	−0.39	0.53	−0.75	.458	−999.00	−999.00	0.56	1, 44	.458	.01
Time 2	−0.46	0.49	−0.94	.355	−999.00	−999.00	0.88	1, 44	.355	.02
Model – Quest religious orientation
Predicting quest religious orientation
Narratization	1.35*	0.54	2.52	.015	0.27	2.44	6.37	1, 44	.015	.13
Conditional effects at values of moderator
Mean – 1SD	−2.51†	1.34	−1.88	.067	−5.22	0.19
Mean	−0.11	0.94	−0.12	.909	−2.01	1.79
Mean + 1SD	2.30†	1.34	1.71	.094	−0.40	5.00
Conditional effects of moderator on Y in each condition
Time 1	−1.27*	0.52	−2.46	.018	−999.00	−999.00	6.05	1, 44	.018	.12
Time 2	0.08	0.58	0.14	.891	−999.00	−999.00	0.02	1, 44	.891	<.01

Note. The subtraction for time effects on dependent variables had order of Y₂ – Y₁, so a positive coefficient would be related to increase and a negative coefficient would be related to decrease in DV over time.

^†p < .10; *p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001.

Figure 9. Interaction effect of time and narratization on state anxiety.

Figure 10. Interaction effect of time and narratization on trait anxiety.

Figure 11. Interaction effect of time and narratization on purpose in life.

Figure 12. Interaction effect of time and narratization on stress related growth .

Figure 13. Interaction effect of time and narratization on intrinsic religious orientation.

Figure 14. Interaction effect of time and narratization on extrinsic religious orientation.

Figure 15. Interaction effect of time and narratization on quest religious orientation.