Question

Which cognitive event, often attributed to the work of Martin Seligman, is hypothesized as contributing to the development and maintenance of major depression?

a) Positive reinforcement
b) Cognitive restructuring
c) Learned helplessness
d) Operant conditioning

Answer 1

Learned helplessness is the cognitive event often attributed to Martin Seligman's work that contributes to the development and maintenance of major depression.

Step-by-step explanation:

The cognitive event often attributed to the work of Martin Seligman that is hypothesized as contributing to the development and maintenance of major depression is c) Learned helplessness.

Seligman and his colleagues reformulated the original learned helplessness model of depression and emphasized attributions that fostered a sense of learned helplessness. This model suggests that when individuals experience negative life events that they believe they are unable to control, they may become helpless and give up trying to change the situation, leading to depression.

Research has shown that people who have a tendency to make internal, global, and stable attributions for bad outcomes are more prone to developing symptoms of depression when faced with negative life experiences.