Intuitive and Instrumental Grief: A Study of the Reliability and Validity of the Grief Pattern Inventory

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Bereavement Studies

Background:

• Grief is a complex process with varying individual responses.
• Understanding distinct grief patterns is crucial for effective clinical intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To refine and validate the Grief Pattern Inventory (GPI) for measuring intuitive and instrumental grief styles.
• To examine the relationship between these grief patterns, psychological distress, and adaptation.
• To explore the connection between personality types (MBTI) and grief processing.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 209 participants completed the revised Grief Pattern Inventory (GPI), Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist (HGRC), Integration of Stressful Life Events Scale (ISLES), and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).
• Psychometric analysis (alpha coefficients, factor analysis) was used to validate the GPI subscales.
• Correlational analyses examined relationships between grief patterns, distress, adaptation, and MBTI types.

Main Results:

• The revised GPI intuitive and instrumental subscales demonstrated improved reliability and independence.
• Both grief styles correlated with distress (HGRC) and negatively with adaptation (ISLES), with stronger associations for intuitive grievers.
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) results indicated that intuitive grievers favored "feeling" functions, while sensing/thinking types aligned with instrumental grief.

Conclusions:

• The refined GPI effectively differentiates intuitive and instrumental grief patterns.
• These grief styles have distinct associations with psychological distress and adaptation.
• Personality traits, particularly those assessed by the MBTI, are associated with specific grief processing styles, offering insights for clinicians and researchers.