In a highly ____________ relationship, the death leads to guilt and anger.

• A. Ambivalent
• B. Secure
• C. Attached
• D. Dependent

Answer: (A)

Grief reactions are strongly shaped by the way a relationship was experienced emotionally. When a relationship is highly ambivalent, it means there were mixed, unresolved feelings—strong attachment paired with fear, insecurity, or inconsistency. That kind of tangled dynamic leaves the bereaved with unresolved tensions and questions about love, closeness, and responsibility. Because the relationship didn’t feel securely resolved, the death can trigger guilt—felt for not having done enough, not expressing enough love, or for issues left unsaid—and anger—at the loss, at oneself, or at others who seemed to be more stable. The push-pull of conflicting emotions makes these guilt and anger responses more prominent than in more secure, uncomplicated ties.

In contrast, a secure relationship tends to result in grief that involves sadness and longing but with a more integrated sense of support and fewer lingering questions about the bond. A purely dependent or clearly defined attachment without the ambiguity of mixed signals doesn’t typically produce the same pattern of unresolved guilt and anger either. So the description that best fits the scenario is ambivalent, capturing how the unclear, opposing feelings toward the relationship fuel intense guilt and anger after the death.