Which statement best describes the moral logic behind survivor guilt as discussed in the context of stress psychology?

• A. Survivor guilt only occurs when someone directly causes harm to others during a stressful event.
• B. Survivor guilt is a result of a biological stress response that is unrelated to moral reasoning.
• C. Survivor guilt is considered a sign of psychological weakness rather than a moral response.
• D. Survivor guilt arises when individuals feel responsible for surviving a traumatic event while others did not, even if they had no control over the outcome.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of survivor guilt within stress psychology. Survivor guilt refers to the feelings of guilt experienced by individuals who survive a traumatic event while others do not, often accompanied by a sense of responsibility or moral conflict.
2. Step 2: Recognize that survivor guilt is not about directly causing harm to others, but rather about the emotional and moral struggle related to surviving when others did not, even if the survivor had no control over the event's outcome.
3. Step 3: Differentiate survivor guilt from biological stress responses. While stress responses involve physiological reactions to trauma, survivor guilt specifically involves moral reasoning and emotional processing related to survival and loss.
4. Step 4: Understand that survivor guilt is not a sign of psychological weakness. Instead, it reflects a complex moral and emotional response to trauma, indicating the individual's engagement with ethical and social considerations.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the best description of the moral logic behind survivor guilt is that it arises from individuals feeling responsible for surviving a traumatic event while others did not, despite having no control over the outcome.