ABSTRACT
Why are some people instrumental in their grieving while others are in tuitive? The search for answers begins by exploring the role that person ality may play in shaping patterns of grief. While there are many con structs of personality, our investigation is concerned with the three that best relate to grief: type theory, trait theory, and heredity (see introduc tion to this section). We begin by defining personality. Next, the instru mental and intuitive patterns of grief are related to the personality type theory of Carl Jung. Then, the influence of one particular personality trait, repressive coping, is examined as a shaper of grieving patterns. Fi nally, the role played by biology and heredity in shaping personality and, thus, patterns of grief is evaluated.
