Internalized versus externalized continuing bonds: Relations to grief, trauma, attachment, openness to experience, and posttraumatic growth

Abstract

This research investigated the predictors of internalized versus externalized continuing bonds to examine whether internalized bonds are more associated with adaptive adjustment to bereavement than externalized. Four studies were conducted: two of romantic partner loss (n = 268 & 218), one of dog or cat loss (n = 199), and one of prenatal loss (n = 226). Participants completed questionnaires online. As predicted, the use of internalized continuing bonds was related to indicators of positive adaptation to grief (e.g. more secure attachment to deceased) while externalized was more strongly associated with indicators of clinical distress (e.g. greater trauma symptomatology).

Notes

1 For study 3, there were no differences between birth mothers and partners, or when separated by trimester for predictors of internalized and externalized continuing bonds.

2 A reviewer raised the concern that we could not confirm that our participants were actually grieving. Apart from clinical samples (e.g. people in grief support groups) this is true for any community sample. However, the fact that we replicated the correlational findings of prior research and obtained similar Cronbach αs on the measures would suggest the quality of our data is comparable to that of prior research.