IB Psychology SL : Abnormal psychology

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for IB Psychology SL

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Ib Psychology Sl

Which of the following is not hypothesized as a contributing factor of depression?

Possible Answers:

Learned helplessness

Excess levels of dopamine in the brain

Low levels of serotonin in the brain

The cognitive triad

Genetic predisposition

Correct answer:

Excess levels of dopamine in the brain

Explanation:

Genetics, low serotonin, learned helplessness, and the cognitive triad are all hypothesized to be contributing factors to depression; however, excess levels of dopamine contribute to schizophrenia, not depression.

Learned helplessness is the idea that a person has learned from past experiences that they cannot control parts of their life, which can contribute to depression. Beck's cognitive triad examines the explanations people make about themselves, their future, and their world. When something happens, someone can decide that it was either caused by them or caused by an external factor (internal/external), generalize the event to all events or keep it specific to the event at hand (global / specific), and decide whether he or she thinks it will continue in the future or will end soon (stable/unstable). When someone is depressed, they tend to believe that good events are external, specific, and unstable, while bad events are internal, global, and stable.

Example Question #1 : Options

Which of the following is not hypothesized as a contributing factor of depression?

Possible Answers:

Excess levels of dopamine in the brain

Learned helplessness

The cognitive triad

Low levels of serotonin in the brain

Genetic predisposition

Correct answer:

Excess levels of dopamine in the brain

Explanation:

Genetics, low serotonin, learned helplessness, and the cognitive triad are all hypothesized to be contributing factors to depression; however, excess levels of dopamine contribute to schizophrenia, not depression.

Learned helplessness is the idea that a person has learned from past experiences that they cannot control parts of their life, which can contribute to depression. Beck's cognitive triad examines the explanations people make about themselves, their future, and their world. When something happens, someone can decide that it was either caused by them or caused by an external factor (internal/external), generalize the event to all events or keep it specific to the event at hand (global / specific), and decide whether he or she thinks it will continue in the future or will end soon (stable/unstable). When someone is depressed, they tend to believe that good events are external, specific, and unstable, while bad events are internal, global, and stable.

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