The crucial importance of empirical evidence in the development of bereavement theory: Reply to Archer (2001)

In his commentary, J. Archer (2001a) argued that G. A. Bonanno and S. Kaltm an's (1999) review and integration of the bereavement literature failed to consider evolutionary theory or other approaches to the origins of grief. A rcher also argued that Bonanno and Kaltman had merely replaced the traditio nal grief work perspective with cognitive restructuring, thereby ignoring t he processes related to avoidance and distancing from the loss. In this rep ly, the author first explains that although it was compelling to do so, Bon anno and Kaltman did not emphasize an evolutionary approach to the origins of grief reactions because in their current form these theories lack empiri cal and theoretical clarity. Second, the author shows that, contrary to Arc her's reading, Bonanno and Kaltman's article viewed cognitive restructuring as a mechanism used primarily by extremely grieved persons and only in som e cognitive domains. Last, the author shows that Bonanno and Kaltman have c hampioned rather than ignored avoidant or distancing processes.