In the context of developmental psychology, how does the typical reaction to the death of a child differ for grandparents compared to parents?

• A. Parents are generally less affected by the loss than grandparents because they are younger and more resilient.
• B. Grandparents often experience a dual grief, mourning both the loss of their grandchild and witnessing their own child's suffering, while parents primarily grieve the direct loss of their child.
• C. Grandparents usually experience more intense grief than parents because they have a longer relationship with the child.
• D. Both grandparents and parents experience identical grief reactions with no significant differences.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the key roles involved in the scenario—parents and grandparents—and recognize that their emotional experiences can differ based on their relationship to the deceased child.
2. Step 2: Identify that parents primarily experience grief due to the direct loss of their child, which is often considered one of the most intense forms of grief in developmental psychology.
3. Step 3: Recognize that grandparents may experience a 'dual grief'—they mourn the loss of their grandchild and also grieve the suffering of their own child (the parent), adding complexity to their emotional response.
4. Step 4: Consider psychological theories and research on grief that highlight how indirect losses (such as witnessing a loved one's suffering) can compound grief reactions, explaining why grandparents' grief might differ from parents'.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the typical reaction to the death of a child differs between grandparents and parents because grandparents' grief includes both their own loss and empathy for their child's pain, whereas parents primarily grieve the direct loss.