Depression and the cognitive approach to explaining it

Question 1

What are the cognitive characteristics of depression?

Answer 1

Negative thinking/schema-pay attention to negative aspects of an event and recall the unhappy events rather than positive
Absolutist thinking-‘black and white thinking’

Question 2

What are the emotional characteristics of depression?

Answer 2

Low mood-persistent feeling of sadness
Self esteem-a person likes themselves less than usual

Question 3

What are the behavioral characteristics of depression?

Answer 3

Disruption to sleep and eating behaviour-increase or decrease in sleeping or eating
Aggression and self harm-individuals can be irritable and aggression. Elf harm and suicide attempts.

Question 4

What is Becks Negative triad?

Answer 4

-Found by Albert Ellis (1962) and Aaron Beck(1963)
-Argued that depression can be attributed directly to distortions in thinking

Question 5

What is the negative schema?

Answer 5

-Our views of themselves are developed during childhood/adolescence.
-If a person develops a set of expectation of themselves it an provide a framework for viewing events pessimistically.

Question 6

What is the negative triad?

Answer 6

-Negative views about self
-negative views about the WORLD
-Negative views about future

Explains how this consistent cycle of negative thinking leads to depression.

Question 7

What is Ellis ABC model?

Answer 7

-Model explains how individuals with depression respond to negative events.
-response is negative which can adverse consequences such as a depressive state.

Question 8

What is ABC model?

Answer 8

A=Activating events e.g failing exams
B=Beliefs of how the individual explains the cause of the negative event e.g ‘i am useless’ vs a rational explanation such as ‘I didn’t do enough work.
C=Consequences-the feelings and behaviour resulting from the belief e.g give up course/on themselves and enter a state of depression.

Question 9

What are errors in logic in Becks triad?

Answer 9

-depressed people tend to draw illogical conclusions when evaluating events
-Called over generalization drawing a sweeping conclusion on the basis of a single event
-Such negative thoughts and thus feelings can lead to depression.

Question 10

PEEL paragraph on other factors affecting depression.

Answer 10

-Other factors such as the biological explanation
-As well as cognitive factors it is very likely that genetic factors and neurotransmitters are involved in depression
-Research shows that depressed people have lower levels of serotonin showing neurotransmitters also play a role
-So, a diathesis stress model could be a better explanation for depression rather than cognitive or biological explanations on their own

Question 11

PEEL paragraph for real life application

Answer 11

-Real life application as it has led to the development of an effective treatment
-For example CBT is focused on challenging a persons irrational thinking which has been shown to reduce the symptoms of depression
-As the treatment is shown to be beneficial as it illustrates that the theory can explain behavior in the real world.
-This provides support for the assumption that depression is caused by faulty thinking that further suggests that the cognitive approach provides a valid and useful explanation for depression

Question 12

PEEL paragraph for supported evidence on irrational thinking

Answer 12

-One strength irrational thinking has supported evidence
-e.g hammen and Krantz found that depressed participants made more errors in logic when asked to interpret written material then did non participants
-The research supports the view that faulty or negative thinking are involved in depression
-Therefore, a valid way in explaining depression.
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