Understanding the Attribution Theory of Depression: How Negative Explanations Fuel Hopelessness in Social Science

People are more likely to perpetuate the depression cycle by attributing negative events to their own personal flaws or external conditions they feel helpless to change. What is this called?

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This is called the “attributional style” or the “attribution theory” of depression. Attribution theory proposes that people make sense of events by looking for explanations (attributions) for what causes those events. Therefore, when negative events happen, people with a depressed mood tend to attribute the causes of those events to internal, stable, and global factors, such as personal flaws, lack of ability, or inherent defects. This negative pattern of self-blame and hopelessness perpetuates the cycle of depression by increasing feelings of helplessness and lack of control over life events. It is important to note that while attributional style is not the only cause of depression, it plays a critical role in determining the duration and severity of depressive symptoms.

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