Question

After Molly's husband died of Alzheimer's disease, she believed that she would also lose her memory and expected to be dependent on others. As a result, she became less competent and less in control. This process that became a downward cycle is called:

a. Grief reaction
b. Self-fulfilling prophecy
c. Disengagement theory
d. Empty nest syndrome

Answer 1

Molly's fear of losing her memory and becoming dependent after her husband's Alzheimer's death is an example of a self-fulfilling prophecy, where her belief leads to behaviors that affirm the expected outcome.

Step-by-step explanation:

When Molly's husband died of Alzheimer's disease, she worried that she would also lose her memory and become dependent on others.

This belief led her to actually become less competent and less in control, illustrating a phenomenon known as a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This is a psychological construct where a person's expectations or beliefs about themselves or others can bring about behaviors that make the belief come true, which in Molly's case, results in a downward spiral of her own abilities and confidence.

The process described in the question where Molly's beliefs about losing her memory and becoming dependent on others contributed to her feeling less competent and in control is called self-fulfilling prophecy. A self-fulfilling prophecy is when a person's belief or expectation about a situation influences their behavior in a way that makes the belief or expectation come true.