Please read the scenario: 

A friend comes to you depressed and talks about how "lousy" a person she is. Your friend has a very negative view of herself. You've noticed that for the last several weeks that she hasn't exercised, which she usually does, and hasn't gone out with friends. Your friend describes difficulty sleeping and studying and generally feels tired and unmotivated. You also know that she has had a great deal of difficulty with her family, and you suspect she may have been emotionally abused. She tells you she's going nowhere, that she can't do anything, and that she has no future.  What do you say to your friend?
 

Consider the list below, and choose the one that you most closely identify with. Based on your perspective, what do you tell her to do?  
 

1. How your friend thinks about herself and her future is the issue.  You tell her that her negative thinking is making her feel depressed. (Cognitive Perspective)
 

2. What she does and doesn't do is the problem—for example, she is isolated and is not getting any exercise.  You tell her that maybe she needs to get up and get out, she will feel better if she does some of the things she likes to do like work out. (Learning and Social Cognitive Perspective)
 

3. a. You suspect that due to the emotional abuse she experienced in her childhood, that she did not get the correct support she needed during a critical developmental time. (Ethological Perspective) 

b. Her feelings, whether they are maladaptive (Links to an external site.) or not, are due to an adaptation that has proven to be beneficial over generations.  You tell her to accept these feelings and find a way to move forward using them to her benefit. (Ethological Perspective)
 

4. Her problem might stem from her early childhood experiences and perhaps she is not even aware of it.  You talk to her about her earlier experiences in childhood and with her family that may have impacted how she is feeling now.  (Psychodynamic Perspective)
 

5. You know that she lives in a community that is plagued by violence and poverty.  You suspect that she does not have a support system in her family or her community based on her history of abuse. You suggest that she joins a support group on campus and meet with a counselor or peer-advisor to help her get established in a healthy community (Ecological Perspective)

 

Which one did you choose?

Your choice above reveals your personal "working model" or which perspectives of development you tend to agree with the most