Question

Lisa is a high school senior who has a negative outlook on life. She believes that odds are stacked against her and that a few powerful people get all of the advantages in life. She is sarcastic and has few friends. Recently, she ran for student government and didn’t get elected. She claims the election was unfair and that the student government advisor purposely misguided her. Since then, she has stopped studying for her classes and attending school regularly. She had hoped to go to college next year, but she is now too depressed about her failures. She has become afraid her parents won’t love her anymore.

Describe the following perspectives and give an explanation of Lisa’s problems from each of them.

Psychoanalytic
Social-cognitive
Humanistic
Behavioral
Finally, which perspective do you think makes the most sense and why?

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

1. Psychoanalytic perspective: According to this perspective, Lisa's negative outlook on life and belief that the odds are stacked against her may stem from unresolved conflicts in her unconscious mind, possibly related to feelings of inferiority or past experiences of failure. Her fear that her parents won't love her anymore could also be linked to deep-seated issues with her sense of self-worth.

2. Social-cognitive perspective: This perspective would suggest that Lisa's beliefs and behaviors are influenced by her social environment, such as the actions of the student government advisor or her perceptions of how opportunities are distributed in society. Her lack of faith in her abilities and the fairness of the system may have been reinforced by these external factors.

3. Humanistic perspective: From a humanistic perspective, Lisa's problems may be seen as stemming from a lack of self-actualization and fulfillment of her potential. Her negative mindset and belief that she is not in control of her own destiny may be preventing her from pursuing her goals and finding happiness.

4. Behavioral perspective: The behavioral perspective would focus on how Lisa's behaviors, such as not studying or attending school regularly, have been reinforced or punished in the past. Her lack of success in the student government election may have led her to give up on her academic aspirations, as she no longer sees the point in trying.

In my opinion, the social-cognitive perspective makes the most sense in this case. Lisa's beliefs and behaviors seem to be heavily influenced by her perceptions of the social world around her, including her experiences with the student government election and her interactions with the student government advisor. This perspective takes into account the impact of external factors on her mindset and actions, highlighting the importance of addressing these influences in order to help her overcome her challenges.