6. The Cognitive Approach To Explaining Depression

Question 1

What is the cognitive approach?

Answer 1

This approach focuses on how our ‘mental processes’ (e.g. Thoughts, perceptions, attention) affect behaviour.

The cognitive approach assumes that behaviours are controlled by thoughts and beliefs. So, irrational/faulty thoughts and beliefs cause ‘abnormal’/depressed behaviours.

Question 2

What is the negative triad?

Answer 2

Beck proposed that there are 3 kinds of thinking that contribute to us being depressed: negative views of the self, the world and the future. Such negative views lead a person to interpret their experiences in a negative way and so make them more vulnerable to depression.

Question 3

What is the ABC model?

Answer 3

Ellis proposed that depression occurs when an activating event (A) triggers an irrational belief (B) which in turn produces a consequence (C) I.e. An emotional response such as depression. The key to this process is iterations belief.

Question 4

What is a schema?

Answer 4

A package of ideas and information developed through experience. They act as a mental framework for helping us to make sense of new information. A self-schema is the package we have about ourselves.

Question 5

What was Beck’s cognitive theory?

Answer 5

Beck suggested that some people are more vulnerable to developing depression because they have faulty information processing (thinking in a flawed way).

When depressed people attend to the negative aspects of a situation, they also tend to blow small problems out of proportion and think in ‘black and white’ terms.

Question 6

Depressed people have negative schemas explain how this influences the way they think

Answer 6

We use schemas to interpret the world, so if a person has a negative self-schema they interpret all information about themselves in a negative way.

Question 7

When did Beck propose that depressed people developed their negative schemas?

Answer 7

He said that depressed people develop a negative schema during childhood (a tendency to adopt a negative view of the world). This may be caused by various factors including parental and/or peer rejection, overly harsh criticism or unrealistic demands being placed on them from any other authority figures.

These new schemas are activated every time they encounter a new situation that resembles the original conditions in which they were learned.

Question 8

What are the three elements of the negative triad?

Answer 8

1. Negative views of the world - ‘the world is such as cold hard place’
2. Negative views of the future - ‘there isn’t much chance that the economy will get any better’
3. Negative views of the self - ‘I am failure’ which negatively impacts upon self-esteem

Once the cognitive triad is activated individuals will concentrate on processing information relevant to it and ignore more positive information. This leads to reinforcement of negative beliefs making the depressed state continue.

Question 9

What is the difference between Beck and Ellis’ thoughts behind depression?

Answer 9

Beck concentrated on automatic thoughts, whereas Ellis focused on situations in which irrational thoughts are triggered by external events.

Question 10

According to Ellis, how do we get depressed?

Answer 10

We get depressed when we experience negative events (like failing a test or a relationship ending) and these trigger irrational beliefs.

Question 11

What are the three components of experience in Ellis’ ABC Model in which a person can establish if his or her belief system is distorted?

Answer 11

A= activating event. This event is the one we encounter and objectively describe.

B= (irrational) belief, that is, what you believe is the truth about the event

C= consequent emotion, e.g. Anxiety and depression/feelings of worthlessness

Question 12

What three forms can irrational beliefs take?

Answer 12

• Ellis called the belief that we must always succeed ‘musterbation’
• ‘I-can’t-stand-it-itis’ is the belief that it is a disaster when things do not go smoothly
• ‘Utopianism’ is the belief that the world must always be fair and just (sometimes it isn’t)

Question 13

EVALUATION OF THE COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS FOR DEPRESSION

Outline two strengths of the cognitive explanations for depression

Answer 13

• good supporting evidence - Alloy et al

* the theory has a practical application as a therapy

Question 14

EVALUATION OF THE COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS FOR DEPRESSION

How do the cognitive explanations have good supporting evidence?

Answer 14

There is plenty of evidence to support the view that depression is linked to faulty thinking. Alloy et al identified students as either ‘optimistic’ thinkers or ‘hopeless’ thinkers. The students were interviewed regularly over 2 1/2 years, and it was found that only 1% of those with an optimistic thinking style developed depression compared to 17% of those with a hopeless thinking style.

This study supports the cognitive explanations as it shows that negative thinking can lead to depression.

Question 15

EVALUATION OF THE COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS FOR DEPRESSION

How does the theory have practical applications as a therapy?

Answer 15

Beck’s cognitive explanation forms the basis of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). The components of the negative triad can be easily identified and challenged in CBT. This means a patient can test whether the elements of the negative triad are true.

This is a strength of the explanation because it translates well into successful therapy.

Question 16

EVALUATION OF THE COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS FOR DEPRESSION

Outline four limitations of the cognitive explanations for depression

Answer 16

• a limitation is that Beck’s theory does not explain all aspects of depression
• a limitation is that Ellis’ model is a partial explanation of depression
• a general limitation is establishing cause and effect between cognitions and depression
• how do we measure cognitions accurately?

Question 17

EVALUATION OF THE COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS FOR DEPRESSION

Explain how Beck’s theory does not explain all aspects of depression

Answer 17

Depression is a complex disorder, some depressed patients are deeply angry and Beck cannot easily easily explain this extreme emotion. Some depressed patients also suffer hallucinations and bizarre beliefs.

This is a limitation of the theory as it cannot explain all aspects of depression.

Question 18

EVALUATION OF THE COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS FOR DEPRESSION

Describe how Ellis’ model only a partial explanation of depression

Answer 18

There is no doubt that some causes of depression follow activating events. Psychologists call this reactive depression and see it as different from the kind of depression that arises without an obvious an obvious cause.

This means that Ellis’ explanation only applies to some kinds of depression which is a weakness.

Question 19

EVALUATION OF THE COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS FOR DEPRESSION

How is not being able to establish a cause and effect between cognitions and depression a general limitation?

Answer 19

Cognitive explanations assume that negative thoughts (cognitions) are the cause of depression, however, this may not necessarily be the case. Evidence of the link between negative thoughts and cognitions is correlational - not casual - and this may mean that negative thinking is a symptom/effect of depression rather than the cause.

This has implications for cognitive therapies which tend to assume negative thinking is what triggers depression.

Question 20

EVALUATION OF THE COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS FOR DEPRESSION

Explain the limitation of accurately measuring cognitions

Answer 20

Most research - as well as clinical diagnoses of depression- is based on the individual being able to verbalise their depressed thoughts. However depression is a subjective experience - some people may not react in the same way yo negative thoughts. They may be able to dismiss these or use them as a way of motivating themselves.

For this reason the cognitive explanations of depression are very difficult to test as they rely on accurate self-report of the depressed person’s symptoms and their experience of negative thoughts.