When a Child Dies: The Sociobiology of Bereavement

According to modern evolutionary theory, the fitness of individuals consists of both their personal reproductive success and the reproductive success of those with whom they share genes in common. It follows that one of the most biologically costly events possible is the death of a child. This study...

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Veröffentlicht in:Journal of personality and social psychology 1986-10, Vol.51 (4), p.797-802
Hauptverfasser: Littlefield, Christine H, Rushton, J. Philippe
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container_title Journal of personality and social psychology
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creator Littlefield, Christine H
Rushton, J. Philippe
description According to modern evolutionary theory, the fitness of individuals consists of both their personal reproductive success and the reproductive success of those with whom they share genes in common. It follows that one of the most biologically costly events possible is the death of a child. This study investigated the grief intensity of bereaved parents and their immediate families using ratings made by 263 bereaved parents. Predictions were derived from sociobiological tenets relating to (a) parental investment, (b) paternal uncertainty, and (c) the propagation potential of both parents and children. Consequently, it was found that (a) mothers grieved more than fathers, (b) healthy children were grieved for more than unhealthy children; (c) male children were grieved for more than female children; (d) health of child and sex of child interacted such that the pattern of grief intensity obtained was healthy male > healthy female = unhealthy female = unhealthy male; (e) similar children were grieved for more than dissimilar children; (f) maternal grandmothers grieved more than either maternal grandfathers or paternal grandmothers, who in turn grieved more than paternal grandfathers; and (g) mothers' siblings grieved more than fathers' siblings.
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Philippe</creator><creatorcontrib>Littlefield, Christine H ; Rushton, J. Philippe</creatorcontrib><description>According to modern evolutionary theory, the fitness of individuals consists of both their personal reproductive success and the reproductive success of those with whom they share genes in common. It follows that one of the most biologically costly events possible is the death of a child. This study investigated the grief intensity of bereaved parents and their immediate families using ratings made by 263 bereaved parents. Predictions were derived from sociobiological tenets relating to (a) parental investment, (b) paternal uncertainty, and (c) the propagation potential of both parents and children. Consequently, it was found that (a) mothers grieved more than fathers, (b) healthy children were grieved for more than unhealthy children; (c) male children were grieved for more than female children; (d) health of child and sex of child interacted such that the pattern of grief intensity obtained was healthy male &gt; healthy female = unhealthy female = unhealthy male; (e) similar children were grieved for more than dissimilar children; (f) maternal grandmothers grieved more than either maternal grandfathers or paternal grandmothers, who in turn grieved more than paternal grandfathers; and (g) mothers' siblings grieved more than fathers' siblings.</description><identifier>ISSN: 0022-3514</identifier><identifier>EISSN: 1939-1315</identifier><identifier>DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.51.4.797</identifier><identifier>PMID: 3783426</identifier><identifier>CODEN: JPSPB2</identifier><language>eng</language><publisher>Washington, DC: American Psychological Association</publisher><subject>Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Animal reproduction ; Behavior. 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Philippe</creatorcontrib><title>When a Child Dies: The Sociobiology of Bereavement</title><title>Journal of personality and social psychology</title><addtitle>J Pers Soc Psychol</addtitle><description>According to modern evolutionary theory, the fitness of individuals consists of both their personal reproductive success and the reproductive success of those with whom they share genes in common. It follows that one of the most biologically costly events possible is the death of a child. This study investigated the grief intensity of bereaved parents and their immediate families using ratings made by 263 bereaved parents. Predictions were derived from sociobiological tenets relating to (a) parental investment, (b) paternal uncertainty, and (c) the propagation potential of both parents and children. 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Attitude</subject><subject>Biological and medical sciences</subject><subject>Child</subject><subject>Child, Preschool</subject><subject>Children &amp; youth</subject><subject>Death &amp; dying</subject><subject>Death and Dying</subject><subject>Families &amp; family life</subject><subject>Family</subject><subject>Female</subject><subject>Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology</subject><subject>Grief</subject><subject>Human</subject><subject>Humans</subject><subject>Infant</subject><subject>Infant, Newborn</subject><subject>Male</subject><subject>Middle Aged</subject><subject>Parents</subject><subject>Parents - psychology</subject><subject>Psychological Tests</subject><subject>Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry</subject><subject>Psychology. 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Philippe</au><format>journal</format><genre>article</genre><ristype>JOUR</ristype><atitle>When a Child Dies: The Sociobiology of Bereavement</atitle><jtitle>Journal of personality and social psychology</jtitle><addtitle>J Pers Soc Psychol</addtitle><date>1986-10-01</date><risdate>1986</risdate><volume>51</volume><issue>4</issue><spage>797</spage><epage>802</epage><pages>797-802</pages><issn>0022-3514</issn><eissn>1939-1315</eissn><coden>JPSPB2</coden><abstract>According to modern evolutionary theory, the fitness of individuals consists of both their personal reproductive success and the reproductive success of those with whom they share genes in common. It follows that one of the most biologically costly events possible is the death of a child. This study investigated the grief intensity of bereaved parents and their immediate families using ratings made by 263 bereaved parents. Predictions were derived from sociobiological tenets relating to (a) parental investment, (b) paternal uncertainty, and (c) the propagation potential of both parents and children. Consequently, it was found that (a) mothers grieved more than fathers, (b) healthy children were grieved for more than unhealthy children; (c) male children were grieved for more than female children; (d) health of child and sex of child interacted such that the pattern of grief intensity obtained was healthy male &gt; healthy female = unhealthy female = unhealthy male; (e) similar children were grieved for more than dissimilar children; (f) maternal grandmothers grieved more than either maternal grandfathers or paternal grandmothers, who in turn grieved more than paternal grandfathers; and (g) mothers' siblings grieved more than fathers' siblings.</abstract><cop>Washington, DC</cop><pub>American Psychological Association</pub><pmid>3783426</pmid><doi>10.1037/0022-3514.51.4.797</doi><tpages>6</tpages></addata></record>
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source MEDLINE; Sociological Abstracts; EBSCOhost APA PsycARTICLES; Periodicals Index Online; Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts (ASSIA)
subjects Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Animal reproduction
Behavior. Attitude
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child, Preschool
Children & youth
Death & dying
Death and Dying
Families & family life
Family
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Grief
Human
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Male
Middle Aged
Parents
Parents - psychology
Psychological Tests
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Social psychology
Social research
Social Support
Sociobiology
title When a Child Dies: The Sociobiology of Bereavement
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