Three characteristic stages of response to separation have been identified as protest, despair and?

DSSSB - 29 August 2019 (Shift-2)

Applied Psychology

Easy

Appeared in: DSSSB - 29 August 2019 (Shift-2)

Explanation

The correct sequence of responses to separation in children, according to Bowlby's attachment theory, is Protest, Despair, and finally Denial or Detachment.
Denial, also called detachment, is the third stage, where the child emotionally separates from the parent to cope with the distress.
In this stage, the child may appear cheerful and independent, but this is a defense mechanism.
A key sign of the denial/detachment stage is the child's apparent indifference or avoidance of the parent upon their return.

Option A: Anxiety is the underlying emotion experienced by a child during separation, but it is not considered one of the three distinct behavioral stages described by Bowlby.
Option B: Bargaining is one of the five stages of grief identified by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance), which typically applies to adults coping with loss or terminal illness, not Bowlby's model of childhood separation.
Option C: Anger is also a stage in the Kübler-Ross model of grief. While a child in the protest stage may exhibit angry behaviors, it is not a separate, subsequent stage in Bowlby's framework.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Stages of Separation Anxiety in Children (Bowlby's Theory) as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses caring for hospitalized children must recognize these stages to provide appropriate emotional support and minimize the trauma of separation.
The primary nursing goal is to prevent the child from reaching the despair and detachment stages by facilitating parent-child contact and providing a supportive environment.
Interventions include encouraging rooming-in for parents, maintaining the child's home routines as much as possible, providing a consistent caregiver, and using transitional objects like a favorite blanket or toy.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core concept of the question, which is the 'stages of response to separation' in children.
Recall the specific theory related to this concept, which is John Bowlby's attachment theory.
List the three stages in order: Protest, Despair, and Detachment (Denial).
Carefully evaluate the options provided. Differentiate Bowlby's stages from other psychological models, such as Kübler-Ross's stages of grief (which include Anger and Bargaining).
Select the option that correctly identifies the third stage in Bowlby's model.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QKGX4o4L2jk3-aqpdS-Tcl

E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 3178-3180

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 4 p. 37-39

E6 Psychology Applied Sreevani 5e p. 94-96