Ellis's ABC model

Question 1

Albert Ellis 1962

Answer 1

• proposed that good mental health is the result of rational thinking, which allows people to be happy and free from pain
• suggested that anxiety and depression result from irrational thoughts
• used the ABC model to explain how irrational thoughts affect our behaviour and emotional state

Question 2

what does the A stand for?

Answer 2

activating event

• Ellis focused on situations in which irrational thoughts are triggered by external events
• we get depressed when we experience negative events and these trigger irrational beliefs

Question 3

what does B stand for?

Answer 3

Beliefs

• Ellis identified a range of irrational beliefs
• e.g must always succeed, achieve perfection

Question 4

what does C stand for?

Answer 4

Consequences

- when an activating event triggers irrational beliefs that are emotional and behavioural consequences

Question 5

STRENGTH; real-world application

Answer 5

• Ellis’s approach to cognitive therapy is called irrational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT)
• the idea of REBT is that by vigorously arguing with a depressed person the therapist can alter the irrational beliefs
• REBT can both change negative beliefs and relieve the symptoms of depression
• REBT has real-world value

Question 6

what is endogenous depression?

Answer 6

• many cases of depression are not traceable to life events and it is not obvious what leads the person to become depressed at a particular time

Question 7

what is reactive depression?

Answer 7

depression is often triggered by life events (activating events)

Question 8

LIMITATION; reactive depression and not endogenous depression

Answer 8

• often reactive depression
• how we respond to negative life events also seems to partly be the reason the result of our beliefs
• Ellis ABC model is less useful for explaining endogenous depression
• can only explain some cases of depression