Question

Rios and Elena are junior researchers in developmental psychology. They conducted a literature review on how individuals experience death along the life span. They learned through their research that experiencing the death of a loved one as an adult can be difficult, and most adults are likely to react MOST strongly to the death of:

a. their own father who is 85.
b. their mother who is 88.
c. a grandparent who is 92.
d. a friend who is 47.

Answer 1

Adults are likely to react most strongly to the death of d. a friend who is 47, as it represents a more unexpected and premature loss compared to the death of older loved ones, which could be perceived as a more natural part of life.

Step-by-step explanation:

Rios and Elena, junior researchers in developmental psychology, conducted a literature review exploring how the experience of death is perceived across the lifespan. In their studies, they learned that adults tend to react most strongly to the death of someone to whom they have a strong emotional bond and who is also within a peer age group, as this often represents a premature loss in the context of the expected life course. In this case, most adults are likely to react most strongly to the death of a friend who is 47, since this is typically seen as an untimely death, contrasting with the death of older loved ones, which, while still painful, are often understood as part of the natural life cycle.