Final answer:
The statement about women having higher death anxiety scores on self-report scales is plausible based on related studies indicating higher stress levels in women, but without specific studies on death anxiety, the answer cannot be conclusively determined from the provided information.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that a survey of studies conducted in 15 nations showed that women tend to have higher death anxiety scores on self-report scales is not directly addressed by the information provided. However, we do have related insights concerning gender and stress. For instance, it has been found that women reported higher levels of stress than men in several national surveys, particularly around the 2008-2009 economic downturn.
Moreover, historical references suggest women faced significant societal challenges, as implied by the denial of the right to vote before the 19th Amendment and the assumption that women were unable to handle the burdens of war. It is therefore possible that such societal pressures could contribute to higher anxiety in general but cannot conclusively answer the question regarding death anxiety without specific studies on the topic.
In the context of your question, it's important to assess the specific research studies that address death anxiety. These studies would likely focus on psychological assessments and may reveal patterns about how different genders perceive and react to the concept of mortality.
If these studies have indeed found that women report higher death anxiety scores, then the answer to the student's question would indeed be true. But without citing specific research on death anxiety, we can only speculate based on related information around stress and societal challenges faced by women historically and in modern times.