cognitive approach to explaining depression

Question 1

beck’s negative triad

Answer 1

beck took a cognitive approach to explain why some people are more vulnerable to depression than others
-it’s a person’s cognitions that create this vulnerability i.e the way people think
beck suggested 3 parts to this cognitive vulnerability
1)faulty information processing
2)negative self-schema
3)the negative triad

Question 2

1)faulty information processing

Answer 2

This is when depressed people tend to focus on negative aspects of a situation
-black and white thinking where some is either all bad or all good

Question 3

2) negative self-schema

Answer 3

a schema is a package of ideas and informational developed through experience
this acts as a mental framework for the interpretation of sensory information/the world
a self-schema is the package of information that people have about themselves
so individuals with a negative self schema, interpret all information about themselves in a negative way.

Question 4

3)the negative triad

Answer 4

beck suggested that a person develops a dysfunctional view of themselves because of 3 types of negative thinking that occur automatically,regardless of the reality of what is actually happening.
there 3 elements are called the negative triad
-negative view about self -thinking your failure= enhance any existing depressive feelings because they conform the existing emotions of low self-esteem.
-negative view of the world-e.g everyone hates me because i’m not good at anything=this creates the impression that there is no hope anywhere.
-negative view about future-i can’t improve,it will always be like this-=reduces hopefulness and enhances depression.

Question 5

ellis’ ABC model

Answer 5

Ellis’ suggested a different cognitive explanation of depression
he proposed that good mental health is the result of rational thinking (think in ways that allows people to be happy and free of pain)- irrational thoughts are illogical and unrealistic thoughts that interfere with us being happy and free of pain
Ellis used the ABC model to explain how irrational thoughts affects our behaviour and emotional state.

Question 6

Ellis’ ABC model

Answer 6

a-activating events
according to Ellis we get depressed when we experience negative events and these trigger irrational beliefs e.g:failing a test

b-beliefs
Ellis identified a range of irrational beliefs.
he called the belief that we must always succeed’musturbation’
“i-can’t-stand-it-itis “ is the belief that it is a major disaster whenever something does not go smoothly
Utopianism is the belief that life that life is always meant to be fair.

C-consequences
when an activating event triggers irrational beliefs there are emotional and behavioural consequences e.g if a a person believes that they may always succeed,and then fails at something then this can trigger depression.