Funeral Service Test Funeral Service Grief and Counseling Psychology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which theorist introduced the concept of 'continuing bonds' as an alternative to the traditional 'letting go' model of grief?
- Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
- Klass, Silverman, and Nickman (Correct answer)
- J. William Worden
- Colin Murray Parkes
Correct answer: Klass, Silverman, and Nickman
Klass, Silverman, and Nickman challenged the detachment model by showing bereaved individuals maintain ongoing connections with the deceased.
Question 2: A widow reports she still sets a place at the dinner table for her deceased husband six months after his death. This behavior is BEST understood as:
- Pathological denial requiring immediate intervention
- A continuing bond that may be adaptive (Correct answer)
- Complicated grief that requires medication
- A cultural anomaly with no therapeutic value
Correct answer: A continuing bond that may be adaptive
Continuing bonds theory recognizes that maintaining symbolic connections with the deceased can be a healthy part of grief adaptation.
Question 3: In Worden's Task Model, what is the primary goal of Task III?
- To accept the reality of the loss
- To work through the pain of grief
- To adjust to an environment in which the deceased is missing (Correct answer)
- To find an enduring connection with the deceased
Correct answer: To adjust to an environment in which the deceased is missing
Task III involves adapting to external, internal, and spiritual changes caused by the absence of the deceased.
Question 4: Which of the following is a hallmark symptom that distinguishes Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) from normal bereavement?
- Crying daily for the first month
- Intense yearning or longing lasting more than 12 months in adults (Correct answer)
- Dreaming about the deceased
- Feeling sad on anniversaries
Correct answer: Intense yearning or longing lasting more than 12 months in adults
PGD is characterized by persistent, intense yearning and difficulty accepting the death that remains debilitating beyond 12 months post-loss for adults.
Question 5: A funeral director notices a bereaved father is extremely calm and businesslike immediately after his child's death. According to the Dual Process Model, this is BEST explained as:
- Pathological grief suppression
- Loss-orientation coping
- Restoration-orientation coping (Correct answer)
- Oscillation between stressors
Correct answer: Restoration-orientation coping
Restoration-oriented coping involves attending to life changes and distractions from grief, which can appear as calm practicality.
Question 6: What does the term 'disenfranchised grief' mean in the context of funeral service counseling?
- Grief that is expressed too openly in public
- Grief that is not socially recognized or supported (Correct answer)
- Grief occurring after an anticipated death
- Grief that resolves unusually quickly
Correct answer: Grief that is not socially recognized or supported
Disenfranchised grief, coined by Kenneth Doka, refers to losses that society does not fully acknowledge, such as the death of a pet or an ex-spouse.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes 'anticipatory grief'?
- Grief experienced only after the funeral service is complete
- Grief that occurs before the actual death in response to an expected loss (Correct answer)
- A form of grief unique to children
- Grief caused by witnessing another person's loss
Correct answer: Grief that occurs before the actual death in response to an expected loss
Anticipatory grief begins before the death occurs, often during a terminal illness, and can include mourning future losses as well as the impending death.
Which theorist introduced the concept of 'continuing bonds' as an alternative to the traditional 'letting go' model of grief?