cognitive approach to explaining depression Flashcards
(22 cards)
What are the 3 aspects of cognitive vulnerability according to Beck?
- faulty information processing
- negative self schema
- negative triad
faulty information processing
depressed people focus on negative aspects of a situation ignoring the positives e.g.
blowing small problems out of proportion or ‘black and white thinking’
What is a schema?
A package of ideas and info developed through experiences.
What do schemas act as?
A mental framework for the interpretation of sensory info.
What is a self-schema?
A package of info people have about themselves
What is a negative self-schema
When someone interprets information about themselves in a negative way.
Why do people develop dysfunctional views of themselves according to Beck?
Because of three types of negative thinking that occur automatically.
3 aspects of the negative triad
- negative view of world.
- negative view of future
- negative view of self.
Negative view of world
Creates the impression that there is no hope anywhere.
Negative view of future
Reduces any hopefulness and enhances depression.
Negative view of self
Enhances existing depressive feelings because they conform to the existing emotions of low self-esteem.
Beck evaluation: Research support
Psychologists regularly measured cognitive vulnerability in 473 adolescents and found that showing cognitive vulnerability predicted later depression
Association between cognitive vulnerability and depression
Beck evaluation point: real-world application
Application in screening and treatment for depression
Cohen eat al - assessing cognitive vulnerability allows psychologists to screen young people and identify the most at risk of developing depression and monitoring them
ABC MODEL evaluation: real-world application
Psychological treatment of depression
David et al - Evidence supporting REBT can change negative beliefs and relive symptoms of depression
REBT = real world value
Ellis model evaluation: reactive and endogenous depression
Ellis’s model only explains reactive depression and many cases of depression dont have a traceable life event and so the causes aren’t obvious there for the model only explains some cases and is a partial explanation.
What did Ellis propose good mental health is the result of?
Rational thinking defined as thinking in ways that allow people to be happy and free from pain.
What did conditions such as anxiety and depression result from to Ellis?
Irrational thoughts - not illogical or unrealistic thoughts but any thoughts that interferes with us being happy and free from pain.
What did Ellis use to explain how irrational thoughts and behaviour and emotional state?
ABC model.
What are the 3 parts of the ABC model?
Activating event
Beliefs
Consequences
Activating event
- Situations in which irrational thoughts are triggered by external events.
- Ellis - when we get depressed or experience negative events these trigger irrational beliefs e.g. failing an important test.
Beliefs
- Ellis identified a range of irrational beliefs.
- The belief we must always succeed or achieve perfection = musturbation.
- I cant stand it-itis = The belief that life is always meant to be fair.
Consequences
- When an activating event triggers irrational beliefs there are emotional and behavioural consequences e.g. a person believes they must always succeed and then fails something - this can trigger depression.
