Question 1

Compared with the general population,those who have suffered ________ have at least five times greater risk of suicide.

Accepted Answer

It has been well documented that individuals who have suffered from major depressive disorder have a significantly increased risk of suicide compared to the general population. Studies have shown that this risk is at least five times greater. While mania and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder may also increase the risk of suicidal behavior, major depressive disorder is the most strongly linked to suicide. Learned helplessness is a theoretical concept that describes a person's perceived lack of control over their environment, and while it may contribute to depression, it is not a recognized mental health disorder on its own.

Question 2

Jackie and Andy are in an intense argument about Andy having lunch with a former girlfriend.Jackie begins recalling all the times Andy has kept things from her,and so her mood declines and she withdraws from Andy.Jackie's recollections of Andy's past transgressions illustrate

Accepted Answer

Jackie's recollections of Andy's past transgressions are an example of rumination, which involves repetitively focusing on negative thoughts and memories. This can lead to a decline in mood and withdrawal from the situation or person causing the negative emotions. State-dependent memory is a phenomenon where memory retrieval is easier when the individual is in the same state as they were during encoding. A pessimistic explanatory style is a tendency to attribute negative outcomes to internal, stable, and global factors, while learned helplessness is a feeling of powerlessness that arises from repeated failure or exposure to uncontrollable events. These concepts are not relevant in this scenario.

Question 3

Yu Fin attributes her poor grade on her term paper to a lack of intelligence,and so sees herself as a failure.These attributions are stable,global,and internal.It is likely that Yu Fin

Accepted Answer

Yu Fin's attributions of her poor grade as being due to a lack of intelligence and seeing herself as a failure are indications of a pessimistic explanatory style. A pessimistic explanatory style includes stable (believing the cause of an event is a permanent characteristic), global (believing the cause affects everything in life), and internal (believing the cause comes from within oneself) attributions. This can lead to feelings of helplessness and lack of motivation. Learned helplessness is a related concept but it specifically refers to a situation where an individual has experienced uncontrollable events and subsequently gives up trying to control future events. Linkage analysis is a genetic research technique and is unrelated to this scenario.

Question 4

A therapist suggests that Margaret is depressed because she attributes her failures to her own incompetence instead of blaming her parents and teachers for the unreasonable demands they place on her.The therapist's interpretation most clearly reflects a ________ perspective.

Accepted Answer

The therapist's interpretation of Margaret's depression focusing on her own thought processes and attributions is characteristic of a social-cognitive perspective. This perspective emphasizes the importance of how an individual's thoughts and beliefs shape their emotions and behaviors. The focus on blaming oneself instead of external factors can lead to feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness, which are symptoms commonly associated with depression.

Question 5

One difficulty with a purely attributional explanation of depression is that negative attributions

Accepted Answer

Studies have found that negative attributions may develop after the onset of depression, suggesting that they are more of a consequence than a cause of depression.

Question 6

Which perspective suggests that explaining our own failures in terms that are global,stable,and internal contributes to depression?

Accepted Answer

This perspective is known as the social-cognitive perspective, particularly the theory of learned helplessness. This theory suggests that individuals who explain their failures in global (i.e., affecting all areas of their life), stable (i.e., unlikely to change), and internal (i.e., their own fault) terms are more likely to become depressed. This is because this explanatory style creates feelings of hopelessness and a lack of control over one's life.

Question 7

The hopeless and passive resignation humans and other animals learn when they experience uncontrollable painful events is called

Accepted Answer

The description best matches learned helplessness, which is a phenomenon where organisms become passive and resigned in the face of uncontrollable painful events. This was first discovered by psychologist Martin Seligman in his research with dogs, and has since been observed in humans as well. Option A, self-defeating belief, and option B, negative explanatory style, are related concepts but do not accurately describe the specific phenomenon being described in the question. Option D, rumination, is also related to negative thinking patterns but does not specifically refer to learned helplessness.

Question 8

According to Martin Seligman,the rise of Western individualism appears most clearly responsible for an increase in

Accepted Answer

Martin Seligman believes that individualism, a common trait in Western cultures, promotes a focus on personal achievement, success, and material wealth, leading to a decrease in community, relationships, and altruism. This focus on the self can lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness, and depression. Therefore, the best choice is A, depression, which aligns with Seligman's theory on the negative consequences of individualism.

Question 9

People who suffer chronic depression are at high risk for experiencing

Accepted Answer

Chronic depression often leads to social withdrawal, which can result in social rejection. Those who suffer from chronic depression may have difficulty maintaining relationships or may avoid social situations altogether. This social rejection can exacerbate symptoms of depression and contribute to their ongoing struggles.

Question 10

Which perspective has emphasized the impact of learned helplessness on depression?

Accepted Answer

The social-cognitive perspective has emphasized the impact of learned helplessness on depression, as it focuses on the ways that individuals perceive and interpret their experiences in the world, including feelings of helplessness and lack of control.

Question 11

As Vince is driving to work he gets pulled over by a police officer.He thinks to himself,"Of course! Bad things always happen to me." This is an example of

Accepted Answer

Vince's thought pattern demonstrates a negative explanatory style, which is the tendency to explain negative events as stable, global, and internal factors beyond one's control. This way of thinking can lead to feelings of pessimism and helplessness.

Question 12

Internal,stable,and global explanations of one's own failures are indicative of

Accepted Answer

Internal, stable, and global explanations of one's own failures are indicative of pessimism, which is characterized by a tendency to attribute negative events to internal, stable, and global factors that are beyond one's control. This type of thinking can lead to feelings of hopelessness and a sense of learned helplessness.

Question 13

The social-cognitive perspective has emphasized that depression is perpetuated by

Accepted Answer

The social-cognitive perspective suggests that the way individuals think about themselves, their world, and their future can exacerbate or alleviate depression. Specifically, self-blaming attributions, focusing on negative events as one's fault or responsibility, can perpetuate feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and low self-esteem.

Question 14

Stressful events interpreted with a negative explanatory style can encourage dampened mood states that lead to behavioral withdrawal and subsequent social rejection by others.This best illustrates

Accepted Answer

This scenario describes depression's vicious cycle, in which negative interpretations of stressors lead to negative mood states, social withdrawal, and rejection, which in turn exacerbate symptoms of depression. Learned helplessness and rumination may also play a role in this cycle, but are not specifically mentioned in the scenario. Bipolar disorder involves distinct episodes of mania and depression, which are not described in this scenario.

Question 15

Depressed people explain their failures in terms that are internal,stable,and global.Their explanations tend to be self-focused and

Accepted Answer

The description of explanations as internal, stable, and global, as well as self-focused, suggests that they are overgeneralized, meaning that the individual applies them to multiple situations rather than seeing them as specific to one occasion.

Question 16

Women are at greater risk of depression than men partially because women are more likely to ________ in response to stressful circumstances.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that women are more likely to ruminate, or repeatedly think about their problems and dwell on negative emotions, in response to stressful circumstances. This cognitive style has been linked to increased risk for depression. While options B, C, and D may also be associated with depression, they are not directly related to the gender difference in incidence rates.

Question 17

Janice tends to worry constantly that her work is not satisfactory or that she will not be able to complete projects on time.This worry has caused her insomnia and has interfered with her social life.Janice's worry illustrates

Accepted Answer

Janice's worry is characteristic of rumination, which involves repetitively focusing on negative thoughts or feelings. This rumination is causing negative impacts on her sleep and social life. The other options (learned helplessness, linkage analysis, explanatory style) do not accurately describe Janice's situation.

Question 18

Rumination is

Accepted Answer

Rumination is defined as compulsive fretting and overthinking about problems and their causes.

Question 19

To break the vicious cycle of depression,the social-cognitive perspective would suggest that people should be encouraged to explain their failures in terms that are both

Accepted Answer

The social-cognitive perspective suggests that people should be encouraged to explain their failures in terms that are external (outside of their control) and temporary (not a reflection of their overall abilities). This helps to break the cycle of negative thinking and self-blame that can lead to depression. By acknowledging that negative events are not necessarily a result of personal shortcomings, individuals are better able to maintain a positive outlook and cope with stressors.

Question 20

Emily attributes her failure to qualify for her college soccer team to factors that are stable,global,and internal.She best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Emily's attribution of stable, global, and internal factors to her failure to qualify for the soccer team indicates a pessimistic explanatory style. She is likely to view this failure as a reflection of her own ability and expects similar outcomes in the future.

Quiz 50: Mood Disorders