No matter what prisoners try to do, they cannot escape. Eventually, they become passive and depressed. This illustrates the central idea in the ________ theory of depression.
A) attribution
B) depressogenic schema
C) learned helplessness
D) behavioral

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The description of prisoners becoming passive and depressed despite their efforts to escape matches the concept of learned helplessness, which is a central idea in the theory of depression proposed by Seligman and colleagues. Option A (attribution theory) focuses on how people attribute causes to their own behavior and that of others. Option B (depressogenic schema) suggests that negative self-beliefs and attitudes contribute to depression. Option D (behavioral theory) emphasizes how behaviors are reinforced or punished by the environment. Therefore, option C is the best choice.

No Matter What Prisoners Try to Do, They Cannot Escape