Your Cousin Has Always Had a Tendency Towards Anxiety

Multiple Choice

Your cousin has always had a tendency towards anxiety. He's been feeling particularly stressed out in recent months and decides to see a doctor for some advice. After describing his symptoms, the doctor tells your cousin that he may be suffering from an anxiety disorder and would like to refer him to someone with more expertise in that area. Your cousin tells the doctor his symptoms seem similar to someone he knows who has been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and he wonders if that's what he's dealing with. The doctor tells him that's possible, though he also emphasizes how even people with the same diagnostic label can be very different. He highlights his belief in the importance of not generalizing too much (just as not all 'Canadians' are the same!) and carefully considering how characteristics unique to individuals influence all aspects of their behavior, including clinically relevant symptoms. What view is this most consistent with?

A) 'magic bullet' diagnosing
B) a categorical view on diagnoses
C) a dimensional view on diagnoses
D) counterfactual reasoning
E) a historic (but no longer common) view on diagnoses