Question

The client has learned to expect negative events in the future, and also gets attention from friends and family when they're feeling depressed.

A) Psychoanalysis
B) Behaviorism
C) Humanistic Psychology
D) Cognitive Psychology

Answer 1

Cognitive psychology, which focuses on the mental processes that influence human emotions and behaviors, best explains the client's expectation of negative events and the attention they receive when depressed. Training in adaptive attribution styles can reduce vulnerability to depression.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reformulated theory of learned helplessness developed by Seligman and colleagues indicates that attributions (mental explanations for why something happened) play a significant role in determining the expectancy of negative events and the onset of depression.

When individuals make internal, stable, and global attributions for negative events, they are more likely to feel a lack of control over stressful situations and, consequently, may become more prone to depression.

However, cognitive psychology asserts that by training in more adaptive attribution styles, one can reduce vulnerability to depression.

Considering the scenario presented, cognitive psychology (Option D) best explains the client's situation, as it emphasizes how the client's thought processes contribute to their depression.

Cognitive psychology focuses on understanding human thinking and how mental processes such as attributions influence emotions and behavior.