Lines Before Anatomy: Drawing as a Tool to Reduce Death Anxiety and Prepare Students for Cadaver Encounters

Authors : Buse Naz Çandir, Zekiye Karaca Bozdağ

Pages : 167-179

Doi:10.25282/ted.1758379

View : 67 | Download : 102

Publication Date : 2025-12-22

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of drawing experience on students\\\' perceptions of cadavers and death anxiety. Materials and methods: The study was conducted with a total of 31 students who were enrolled in the elective course of artistic anatomy at our university, had never seen a cadaver before, and volunteered to participate in the study. After administering the Thorson-Powell Death Anxiety Scale, the students were randomly divided into three groups. The students in the first group were shown the cadaver directly. Students in the second group were asked to imagine and draw the cadaver and then compare their drawings with the actual cadaver. Students in the third group were first shown a part of the cadaver and asked to draw it, and then shown the entire cadaver. After these stages, all students were again administered the death anxiety scale and then the feedback questionnaire. Results: When the results of the death anxiety scale were examined, it was determined that the average scores before the study were higher than the scores after the study (p<0.001). In addition, it was found that Group 1 students had higher anxiety levels than Group 2 and Group 3 students (p=0.039 and p=0.005, respectively), but there was no difference between Groups 2 and 3 (p=0.603). Furthermore, students who reported never having seen a deceased person before were found to have higher anxiety levels than other students (p=0.017). Conclusion: Drawing-based applications have been proven to be effective in reducing anxiety and fear experienced by students prior to their first encounter with a cadaver. Our findings suggest that this approach has the potential to facilitate emotional adaptation in the cadaver-based learning process and can be integrated into pedagogical planning for the first encounter with a cadaver, particularly for the purpose of anxiety management in anatomy education.
Keywords : kadavra korkusu, kadavra algısı, kadavraya duygusal tepki, anatomide çizim, çizim

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