Behavioural EXPLANATIONS of Stress - Lewinsohn

Question 1

What is the behavioural explanation

Answer 1

Assumes behaviours shown by individuals suffering from depression are LEARNT either through CONDITIONING or IMITATION

Question 2

What is learned helplessness

Answer 2

Depression occurs as a consequence of this. Depression when belief that punishment is inevitable

Question 3

Aim of Lewisohn

Answer 3

Compare amount of positive reinforcement received by depressed and non-depressed participants

Question 4

Method of Lewisohn

Answer 4

• Longitudinal study over 30 days
• Self report of pleasent activities of pleasant events schedule
• Self rating scale of depression using depression adjective checklist
• This operationalises positive reinforcement of taking part in pleasant activities

Question 5

Participants of Lewisohn

Answer 5

• 30 participants diagnosed with depression and another disorder
• Normal control group

Question 6

Design of Lewisohn

Answer 6

• Independent measures design

- Quasi experiment

Question 7

Procedure of Lewisohn

Answer 7

• Participants check mood daily using depression adjective check list, tick the ones they felt
• Asked to complete pleasant events scake rating 320 activities
• Rated twice on a scale of 3. One for frequency one for pleasantness

Question 8

Results of Lewisohn

Answer 8

• Significant positive correlations between mood ratings and pleasant activities
• Individual differences from 0 - 0.66, indicates more to depression than reinforcement

Question 9

Conclusions of Lewisohn

Answer 9

• Link between reinforcement from pleasant activities & mood
• Further research needed to identify individual characteristics that make some people more influence by pleasant activites