Cognitive explanation of Unipolar depression & Evaluation Flashcards
What view does the cognitive approach take?
That dysfunctional behaviour is the result of irrational or faulty thinking.
What does the approach believe?
That we actively process information and use cognitive processes such as attention and memory to guide our behaviour.
What does this approach propose as the cause of dysfunctional behaviour?
This approach proposes that irrational thought processes cause dysfunctional behaviour.
Give an example of an irrational thought process that could cause depression?
Attending to particular thoughts (eg destructive ones) rather than more positive ones may lead to depression.
Alternatively, having irrational beliefs about the dangers around us might lead to what?
Anxiety disorders such as OCD or specific phobias such as agoraphobia.
What does Beck argue that patients with depression may be more susceptible to?
Low self esteem, high in self blame, paranoia and other inappropriate and illogical cognitive distortions.
Evaluate in terms of what evidence supports the idea that people with depression display cognitive distortions? (two studies)
Beck et al investigation the cognitive distortions in patients with and without depression. Patients with depression demonstrated similar themes in their thoughts that those with no depression. These were low self esteem, self blame, anxiety and desire to escape.
Evaluate in terms of applications to real life (strength).
This approach had developed particular ways of controlling depression particularly through cognitive behavioural therapy. Eg, by demonstrating that depression is caused by faulty cognitions, it is possible to logically restructure a persons perception to a more normal one. CBT aims to treat the faulty perceptions into a better/positive way of thinking. This means there is a way of curing depression without the side effects of taking drugs.
Evaluate in terms of it being reductionist (weakness).
Alot of evidence suggest that there is a biological or genetic cause of depression rather than a cognitive cause. There is evidence that genetic inheritance & biological differences are more important in the development of depression that cognitive causes. Eg, brain scans have found that people suffering from depression have irregular levels of serotonin, which the cognitive explanation does not take into account.
What twin study refutes the cognitive explanation of depression?
Kendler, in Sweden, carried out a large scale twin study and found that concordance rates for depression in mono-zygotic twins were 76% whereas the concordance rates for depression in di-zygotic twins were 19%. The finders support the view that genes are an important factor into the development of depression.
