__________ developed by psychologist Vamik Volkan and associated with non-resolution of mourning?

• A. Grief inventories
• B. SUDS
• C. Linking objects
• D. Gestalt techniques

Answer: (C)

Linking objects are tangible items that preserve a bridge to the person who has died. Vamik Volkan described how such objects can become fixation points, keeping the bereaved connected to the past rather than allowing mourning to transform and integrate the loss into a new sense of self. When a linking object remains the primary way the living relate to the deceased, the emotional work of mourning can stall, leading to non-resolution. This makes it the best answer because it directly describes the mechanism Volkan associated with unfinished grief. Grief inventories are measurement tools, SUDS is a distress rating scale used in exposure therapies, and Gestalt techniques are general therapeutic methods; none of these capture Volkan’s idea about enduring ties through linking objects.