Ellis ABC Model

Question 1

Ellis ABC Model

Answer 1

• Ellis (1962) alternative explanation to depression.
• Good mental health: result of rational thinking.
• Poor mental health: result of irrational thoughts.
• Ellis’s ABC model explains how irrational thoughts affect our behavioural and emotional state.
• Irrational: any thoughts that interfere with happiness.

Question 2

A: activating event

Answer 2

• External events that trigger irrational thoughts.
• Ellis: negative events trigger irrational beliefs that leads to depression.

Question 3

B: beliefs

Answer 3

• Musturbation: belief that we must succeed or achieve perfection.
• I-can’t-stand-it-itis: belief that it is a major disaster when something doesn’t go well.
• Utopianism: belief that life is always meant to be fair.

Question 4

C: consequences (Ellis’s ABC Model)

Answer 4

• When an activating event triggers irrational beliefs there are emotional and behavioural consequences.
• Ex: suffering from musterbation, fails at something and this triggers depression.

Question 5

Evaluation

Real world Application

Answer 5

• Application to psychological treatment of depression.
• Rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT): Ellis’s approach to cognitive therapy.
• REBT: therapist vigorously arguing with depressed person to change irrational beliefs.
• David et al. (2018): evidence shows REBT can change negative beliefs and change depression symptoms.

Question 6

Evaluation rea

Answer 6

• Limitation: only explains reactive depression, not endogenous depression.
• Reactive = depression triggered by life events.
• Endogenous = depression not traceable to life event and not obvious what causes depression in a person.

Question 7

Ethical Issues

Answer 7

• ABC model controversial because responsibility of depression is only with the depressed person.
• Does ABC model blame the depressed people?
• BUT when used sensitively, ABC model in REBT does help some depressed people achieve more resilience and improve outlook.