¶ … Children do not understand death in the same manner as adults. Adults understand death as a natural part of the cyclical nature of life, but children cannot grasp this. There are four subconcepts which create this difference between adult and child: irreversibility, finality or non-functionality, causality, and inevitability (Bonoto 2013,-page 48).
Death is an abstract concept meaning that it is not something which can be explained through objectivity. Things which are not concrete are not understood until a level of mental maturity has been reached, no sooner than age seven (Bonoto 2013,-page 48). Abstract concepts such as life, love, and death require a level of cognitive development that most young children simply do not yet possess.
Children who have had a close association with death, such as a personal experience or a prolonged illness are potentially more likely to understand death at a younger age (Bonoto 2013,-page 49). This has not been universally acknowledged or verified according to research because some children with personal experience with death do not have a better understanding than the general population.
d. Drawings have proven to be an ideal way for psychologists and researchers to understand and analyze the emotions of children and their perceptions of death and the grief process (Bonoto 2013,-page 50). The research discussed in this article verifies that this is especially good as a psychological tool because it allows children to express emotion when they do not yet have the language skills necessary to convey those feelings.
2. Discuss the generalizability and validity of the study.
More than 100 research studies have been conducted on the subject of children's psychological perspective of death. The article tries to analyze these in a general manner, applying the findings of the ones these researchers found to be most valid. Thus they have been peer-reviewed multiple times and their generalization applied over nearly a century. In addition to this evaluation, the researchers performed their own investigation into children and their comprehension of death. This test was conducted using a questionnaire which did not vary from child to child, but rather the same questions were given to all children. In addition to this, the researchers endeavored to create an environment for testing where the children felt completely comfortable. The article notes in particular that the children did not experience stress during this questionnaire. Only by creating a positive and nurturing environment could researchers get valid information about their feelings. This was absolutely necessary in obtaining valid data. The information gained from this research can be applied universally. They were able to identify numerically that children with early exposure to death or chronic and severe illness wherein death was a possible outcome were more able to understand the true meaning of death when compared to children who did not have comparable experiences with the subject.
3. Evaluate the worthiness of the study. Discuss the value in systematically studying the topic, rather than relying on common sense. Determine whether it would it be appropriate to fund this research with publicly-funded grants.
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