Cognitive approach to explaining depression

Question 1

disturbance to thinking definition

Answer 1

cognitive approach model suggests depression results from faulty cognitions / information processing / negative thinking about events

Question 2

schema definition

Answer 2

cognitive psychologists say we have mental frameworks for objects that act as short cuts in understanding the world, this included schemas about ourselves. Depression can result from our self schema being negative

Question 3

beck’s negative triad

Answer 3

events are seen as negative/pessimistic, due to negative schemas about the world.

overgeneralisation (one problem leading to others)
magnification of problems (seeing them as more important then they are)
selective perception (focusing on negative)
absolutist thinking (all or nothing)

Question 4

Ellis’ ABC model

Answer 4

people respond in different ways to stesses and challenges in life

A -activating event - external situation that there is a reaction to
B - Belief - this is why the individual thinks A happened (rational or irrational)
C - Consequence - the behaviour and emotions caused by B. A is blamed for unhappiness in depression

Question 5

Musterbatory thinking

Answer 5

Ellis suggests thinking in absolutes, “the world must be perfect” is a common type of belief that leads to unhappiness.

Question 6

Evaluation positive:

Answer 6

Hammen and Krantz 1976 - found support for cognitive negative distortions in depressed female undergraduates compared to a control group when presented with a short story, depressed females showed more errors in logic when interpreting the narrative.

Question 7

Evaluation negative:

Answer 7

some depressive patients have manic phases in which they exhibit a lot of energy and confidence, also anger issues. Cognitive explanations struggle to explain these patients