Cognitive Approach to explaining depression

Question 1

Becks Cognitive theory of depression

Answer 1

AO1

Question 2

faulty information processing

Answer 2

Beck (1967) suggested that some people are more prone to depression because of the faulty information processing- eg thinking in a flawed way
when depressed people attend to the negative aspects if a situation and ignore the positives, they also tend to blow small problems out of proportion - think in B&W terms

Question 3

depressed people have negative self schemas

Answer 3

a schema is a package if ideas and information developed through experience- use to interpret the world- negative schema -> interpreting all info about themselves negative

Question 4

the negative triad

Answer 4

3 elements
1- negative views of the world- world is a cold hard place
2-negative view future- economy will not get better
3-negative view of themselves- I am failure- decreases self esteem

Question 5

Ellis ABC model

Answer 5

AO1

Question 6

A-Activating event

Answer 6

Ellis suggested that depression arises from irrational thoughts
depression occurs when we experience negative events- failing test- end relationship

Question 7

B-Beliefs

Answer 7

negative events tigger irrational beliefs

• we must always success belief- “musterbation”
• I can’t stand it itis- belief- disaster if not smooth
• utopianism- belief world must always be fair and just

Question 8

C-Consequences

Answer 8

• when an activating event triggers irrational beliefs- there are emotional and behavioural
• eg- if you believe you must always succeed- fail at something -consequence is depression

Question 9

evaluation

Answer 9

strength- Grazioli and Terry (2000) assessed 65 pregnant women for cognitive vulnerability and depression before and after birth- found that those women judged to have been high in cognitive vulnerability were more likely to suffer post natal depression- these cognitions can be seen before depression develops- suggesting that Beck may be right about cognition causing depression in some cases

Strength- practical application to therapy- Becks cognitive explanation from the basis of CB- the components of negative triad can be easily seen and challenged in CBT- patient can test whether the elements of the -tive triad are true- strength - translates well into a successful therapy

weakness- Ellis model is partial explanation of depression- no doubt some cases of depression follow activating events- psychs call this reactive depression and see it as diff kind of depression that arises without an obvious cause- Ellis explanation only applies to some kinds of depression