Cognitive approach to explaining depression

Question 1

what are the assumptions of the cognitive approach for explaining depression

Answer 1

• Depression is caused by cognitive processes i.e. the way we think.
• If we can help people change the way they think, we can change the way they feel and the way they behave –> This will cure them of their depression

depression is caused by:
- Negative schemas
- Cognitive biases
- Cognitive Triad

Question 2

what are schemas

Answer 2

• our belief-systems about the world.
• A schema is like a packet of information which is unique to each of us.
• We have hundreds of thousands of schemas in our minds.

Question 3

what are self schemas

Answer 3

• Are beliefs we have about ourselves
• These are the type of schemas which psychologists think cause abnormality
  e.g. “I am rubbish at everything. I’m going to fail all my exams”
  e.g. “I am so ugly. No one is ever going to love me”
• Beck believes that negative self-schemas lead to depression.
• Negative self-schemas are difficult to change, but with therapy this is possible.

Question 4

what is Beck’s cognitive triad

Answer 4

• Beck found that negative views of the self lead to a chain of further negative thoughts which cause depression:

e.g “I am stupid- I only got a D on that test last week” (negative view of self)
This causes a negative view of the future- “I am going to fail all my exams”
Which causes a negative view of the world -“What is the point in even trying? I am clearly going to fail at life.”

• negative views of self, leads to negative views of future and then negative views of world (future and world may be the other way around)

Question 5

what are cognitive biases

Answer 5

• negative thoughts which are unconscious and rapid responses to certain situations.
• These biases prevent the person from focusing on the positive side of life and so reinforce their negative views/depression.

All or nothing thinking:
- Either I am really smart or I am really stupid. My grades last week suggest I am really stupid.
Catastrophizing:
- Blowing everything out of proportion. Getting a bad mark in one class test and deciding you need to leave Sixth Form. (minimising is the opposite)
- Mustabation - i must do this

Question 6

what is Ellis’s ABC model

Answer 6

• Ellis used the ABC model to explain how irrational thoughts affect our behaviour and emotional state.
• He suggested that (A) an activating event is affected by (B) an individual’s beliefs which results in (C) a consequence
• This contributes to depression. (irrational thinking has resulted in irrational/depressive behaviour)

Question 7

what are the +ve AO3 points for the cognitive approach explaining depression

Answer 7

• research support
• CBT

Question 8

expand on the +ve AO3 point for the cognitive approach explaining depression, research support

Answer 8

• Research shows that there is a link between cognitive processes and depression.
• Terry (2000) assessed 65 pregnant women before they gave birth to find out how vulnerable they were to negative thinking.
• The ladies who developed PND were the ones who had been labelled most cognitively vulnerable.

Question 9

expand on the +ve AO3 point for the cognitive approach explaining depression, CBT

Answer 9

• The approach has developed an effective treatment for depression called CBT. (cognitive behavioural therapy)
• CBT is used internationally and is the most successful treatment in managing depression.
• CBT can be provided by the NHS for free and is available to everyone via referral by your GP.

Question 10

what are the -ve AO3 points for the cognitive approach explaining depression

Answer 10

• unscientific
• responsibility
• direction of causality

Question 11

expand on the -ve AO3 point for the cognitive approach explaining depression, unscientific

Answer 11

• you can’t measure or define irrational thoughts as the idea of schemas is rather vague and unclear
• As a consequence we cannot test for them scientifically.
• This is a weakness as Psychology is a science the concepts involving the approach should be testable.

Question 12

expand on the -ve AO3 point for the cognitive approach explaining depression, responsibility

Answer 12

• The Individual is seen as being responsible for their maladaptive behaviour/problems.
  -This could increase suicidal thoughts and make depression worse.

Question 13

expand on the -ve AO3 point for the cognitive approach explaining depression, direction of causality

Answer 13

It may be that depression leads to negative thinking rather than the negative thoughts causing depression