Depression Explanations: Cognitive Approach Flashcards
How does mental health affect behavior?
Mental health affects behavior through negative biases (faulty thinking) which leads to depression.
What is Ellis’s ‘ABC Model’?
The ‘ABC Model’ states that mental disorders are due to irrational beliefs.
What are the components of the ‘ABC Model’?
Activating Event, Belief, and Consequence.
What is an Activating Event?
An event that triggers a belief, e.g., getting fired from a job.
What is a rational belief?
A rational belief is one that leads to healthy emotions, e.g., ‘I got fired because the company is overstaffed.’
What is an irrational belief?
An irrational belief leads to unhealthy emotions, e.g., ‘I was sacked because they hate me.’
What is Mustabatory Thinking?
Mustabatory Thinking includes beliefs that certain things must be true for someone to be happy.
What are the three mustabatory beliefs?
- I must be accepted by people.
- I must do well or I am worthless.
- The world must give me happiness or else I’ll die.
What is Beck’s ‘Negative Triad’?
The Negative Triad is an irrational view of three key elements in a personal belief system.
What are the three elements of the Negative Triad?
The Self, The World, and The Future.
What does ‘The Self’ represent in the Negative Triad?
‘The Self’ represents thoughts like ‘I’m plain and undesirable.’
What does ‘The World’ represent in the Negative Triad?
‘The World’ represents thoughts like ‘I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t like me.’
What does ‘The Future’ represent in the Negative Triad?
‘The Future’ represents thoughts like ‘I am always going to be on my own.’
How are negative schemes acquired?
Negative schemes are acquired in childhood and activated in similar conditions.
What can cause cognitive bias?
Cognitive bias can be caused by parents, peers, or teachers through criticism, rejection, or abuse.
What did Brates’ findings suggest about negative thoughts and depression?
Brates found that when patients were given negative automatic thought statements, they became more depressed, suggesting a link between negative thoughts and depression.
This supports Ellis’ theory.
What is a real-world application of the explanation of negative thoughts and depression?
The explanation has led to the successful treatment method of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which changes irrational thought processes into rational ones.
What did Cohen’s study on adolescents reveal about cognitive vulnerability?
Cohen tracked 473 adolescents and found that early cognitive vulnerability predicted susceptibility to later depression, highlighting its usefulness in clinical practice.
What limitation does Ellis’ ABC Model have regarding types of depression?
Ellis’ ABC Model describes reactive depression but not endogenous depression, limiting its explanatory power.
Why is the explanation of depression by Beck and Ellis considered weak?
Not all episodes of depression have an activating event, which limits the ability of their explanations to account for all causes of depression.
What aggressive behavior aspect is overlooked by Beck and Ellis?
Some individuals with depression experience aggressive behavior, which is not explained or discussed by Beck and Ellis, indicating a limitation in their theories.
What is a criticism regarding the focus of Beck and Ellis’ theories?
Their theories blame the individual rather than considering situational factors, which may lead therapists to overlook important contextual causes during CBT.
How can biological factors explain depression?
Depression can be biologically explained by low serotonin levels, with treatments like SSRIs acting to increase serotonin.
What does the Diathesis Stress explanation suggest about genetic vulnerability?
The Diathesis Stress explanation suggests that individuals with a genetic vulnerability to depression are more likely to experience it when subjected to stressors.
