Final answer:
The statement that others are responsible for one's reactions and mood is false, as individuals have personal responsibility for their emotional responses, aided by metacognition and an internal locus of control.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that other people are responsible for your reactions and mood is false. While social interactions and behaviors of others can influence our moods and reactions, personal responsibility for emotion regulation and responses ultimately lies within the individual. The use of metacognition to understand and manage one's emotions is a tool that can be utilized to maintain autonomy over one's mood and reactions, despite external circumstances.
It is important to recognize phenomena such as the Bystander Effect and the Diffusion of Responsibility, which illustrate that individual behavior can be influenced by the presence of others. These social psychology concepts reveal that our actions and reactions may be swayed when others are around, but they do not absolve individual responsibility for our moods and actions.
Furthermore, our internal locus of control can shape how we interpret and react to situations. A study by Peterson and Seligman (1984) revealed that individuals who cultivate a sense of personal control over their lives and practice healthy attribution habits tend to cope better and exhibit fewer symptoms of depression when faced with negative life experiences.