Which model posits that a predisposition interacts with major life stressors to influence the development of disorders?

• A. Dopamine Hypothesis
• B. Diathesis-Stress Model
• C. Psychoanalytic Theory
• D. Behavioral Model

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that a person's underlying vulnerability combines with major life stress to shape whether a disorder develops. This is the diathesis-stress model. The diathesis (or vulnerability) can be genetic, neurobiological, or rooted in early experiences. On its own, this predisposition might not cause symptoms, but when a significant stressor occurs—such as job loss, bereavement, or trauma—the interaction can trigger onset or worsen a condition. Importantly, the same stress might lead to illness in someone with high vulnerability but not in someone with low vulnerability, which helps explain why people respond so differently to similar life events. Protective factors like strong coping skills, social support, and healthy routines can buffer this effect, reducing the likelihood that stress will lead to disorder. Other models focus on specific mechanisms (for example, neurotransmitter imbalances), unconscious conflicts, or learned behavior, but they don’t capture how vulnerability and stress interact to influence development in the same integrated way.