Interpersonal processes (G15)

Question 1

Contagious depression was found by Joiner and Katz (1999) to be one of the interpersonal consequences of depression. Regarding contagious depression, which of the following is correct?

a. A depressed person is likely to cause others to show some symptoms of depression.
b. A depressed person is likely to cause others to have a depressed mood.
c. A depressed person is not likely to cause others to have a depressed mood.

Answer 1

c. A depressed person is not likely to cause others to have a depressed mood.

Question 2

Describe the potential adverse consequences of an anxious predisposition. Consider the influence of the parental relationship in early years, and also interpersonal relationships as an anxious adult.

Answer 2

Parents will tend to be more controlling and overprotective than if the child was not anxious, reducing a child’s development of independence. Furthermore, avoidance of situations that may provoke anxiety will be encouraged by parental control and overprotection, maintaining and exacerbating the child’s anxiousness. As an adult, an anxious person will display social behaviours such as unassertiveness, inhibition, compliance, avoidance and poor eye contact. These behaviours in turn result in the belief that others don’t like you actually coming true, because of poor social performance as perceived by others, resulting in social rejection.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT part of Gilbert’s 3 systems of humans and animals?

a. Drive system
b. Social system
c. Threat system

Answer 3

b. Social system

Question 4

Amy who was born and raised in a small and secluded town just moved to a new private school in a rich and big city. She started to develop symptoms of social anxiety after starting at this new school.
Describe the social status theory and explain how the theory can be applied to Amy’s case.

Answer 4

Theory: people develop social anxiety as a defence mechanism, and this is manifested in their submission to dominant groups because such individuals feel like they have a lower perceived status or are unable to win when being in conflict with the dominant group.
Case: Amy feels like because she’s new and may not be as wealthy as the students in the new school, she feels anxious socially because she feels like her social status is low and she does not want to be in conflict with the students there.

Question 5

What are the 2 types of interpersonal feedback seeking behavior as mentioned in the literature?

a. ERS and NFS
b. DHL and DPD
c. ERS and MAP

Answer 5

a. ERS and NFS

Question 6

Describe what role interpersonal processes play in the development of depression.

Answer 6

Interpersonal feedback seeking, depressed individual seeks reassurance but doubts sincerity, this aggravates the surrounding people and creates a downward spiral.
Answer may also include NFS.