Francesca is involved in an abusive relationship with her husband of 10 years that is characterized by episodic domestic violence

Question

Knowing that she has three children, no career, and no relatives nearby to help leads her to believe that her situation is hopeless. Moreover, she is beginning to think she really does deserve the abuse she receives because of her stupid and thoughtless behavior. She has asked her husband to go to marital counseling but he refuses. In his eyes, she is the problem. Francesca feels depressed and has suicidal ideation.
From a psychological perspective, how might learned helplessness theory help explain Francesca's depressed mood and feelings of hopelessness?

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

According to Martin Seligman, Francesca's abuse and victimization (externally uncontrollable events) and feelings of low-self esteem and self-doubt (internally uncontrollable environments) are leading to her experience of depression and helplessness. She is attributing the cause of her problems to her own incompetence and poor performance (internal cause), rather than the external cause which is her husband's violence, thus resulting in a depressed mood.