21. Take your learning a step further by testing your critical thinking skills on this scientific problem solving exercise.

___1___

Since her divorce three months ago, 65-year-old Phyllis has constantly felt tired, has had difficulty sleeping and eating, and has lost all interest in her family, friends, and usual activities. Once proud of her accomplishments and optimistic about her future, Phyllis now believes that everything she has ever done, or will do, is worthless. Although her husband was far from a perfect partner, Phyllis is convinced that the divorce really was her fault. Her once-close friends, weary of Phyllis's self-absorbed and hopeless attitude, have stopped calling her. The family physician referred Phyllis to a psychiatrist, who prescribed an antidepressant. The drug seemed to help somewhat, but Phyllis, worried that she would become addicted, stopped taking it regularly. Phyllis's son-in-law is concerned about her dejected attitude. Her daughter, however, insists that there is no cause for alarm. She says that her mother is simply growing old — that the listlessness is reminiscent of her maternal grandmother's behavior at the same age.

1. Should Phyllis's daughter be more concerned about her mother's behavior, or is she correct in attributing it to aging? Explain your reasoning.

2. How might Phyllis's behavior be classified by a clinical psychologist?

3. How might Phyllis's behavior be explained according to (a) the psychoanalytic, (b) the biological, and (c) the social-cognitive perspectives?

4. Which diagnostic perspective most closely represents your own belief about Phyllis's condition? Why?

___2___

Deborah is very satisfied with the large amount of time and money she has invested in psychotherapy. When she began therapy, her life was in crisis and she was desperate for help in overcoming her depressed, pessimistic attitude. After shopping around, she finally found an understanding cognitive therapist who made her feel she could get her life back on track. After 3 months of psychotherapy, Deborah is once again enjoying her life and attributes her recovery to the psychotherapy.

Vincent is a middle-aged manager of an auto parts store. He is under a lot of pressure at work, has a very negative attitude about life, and "blows up" frequently at minor family annoyances. Although he admits that he is depressed and complains to his family a lot, he doesn't feel there is anything wrong with him. His family disagrees and is concerned that he is increasingly showing signs of psychologically disordered behavior. At their insistence, Vincent reluctantly agrees to see a psychotherapist. He picks a name at random from the phone book and grudgingly endures several weeks of "overpriced gibberish" to appease his family. Despite the good efforts of the psychotherapist, who attempts to countercondition Vincent's maladaptive behaviors, Vincent shows no improvement following psychotherapy.

1. Assuming their initial problems were equally serious, what could account for Deborah's and Vincent's very different experiences with psychotherapy?

2. Deborah now swears by cognitive therapy, while Vincent is very critical of behavior therapy. Are their recommendations acceptable as scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of psychotherapy? Why or why not?

FROM THE HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY