L9: The Cognitive Approach To Explainin Depression- Beck’s Cognitive Triad and Ellis’s ABC Model

Question 1

What is the cognitive model ideology

Answer 1

That people who are suffering from depression often have distorted and negative thinking. People who think in a negative or irrational way might be more prone to developing the illness of depression.

Question 2

Cognitive Triad by Beck- intro

Answer 2

Beck believes people become depressed when they have a negative outlook and develop negative schemes which dominate their thinking. These schemas continue into adulthood and provide a negative framework, whereby life is viewed in a negative way possibly causing depressive thoughts.

Question 3

Examples of negative schemas

Answer 3

Self blame: depressed people believe they are to blame for all misfortunes
Ineptness: depressed people expect to fail at everything
These could cause depression and possible suicidal tendencies,

Question 4

The Cognitive Triad

Answer 4

Stage 1: negative thoughts about self -“I am useless and no good at English”
Stage 2: negative thoughts about world- “I am useless at everything I do”
Stage 3: negative thoughts about the future- “I will always be useless”
-causes low self esteem

Question 5

Evaluation- Becks- Influential (+)

Answer 5

It is very influential within psychology during the last 30 years, especially as this theory has been based on sound experimental research that is objective and permits testing. It seems that distorted and negative thoughts are common amongst patients who have depression and negative thoughts play a key role in the development of the illness.

Question 6

Evaluation - Becks - cause and effect (-)

Answer 6

Cause and effect is not clear. Does negative and irrational thinking occur first or does depression cause negative and irrational thinking? This needs to be investigated further to be sure that negative thinking causes depression.

Question 7

Evaluation- becks- cognitive approach (-)(+)

Answer 7

(-) : behavioural contradicts the cognitive, b suggests that depression is learnt and from the environment, whereas cognitive suggests that depression is caused by negative thinking.
(+) : combining cognitive and behavioural approaches have been attempted, the CB approach looks at both negative and irrational thinking and classical and operant conditioning and social learning elements in order to look at causes of depression.

Question 8

Evaluation - Becks- Terry (+)

Answer 8

Terry assessed 65 pregnant women before and after giving birth. It was discovered that women with a high cognitive vulnerability were more likely to suffer post-natal depression which supports the cognitive approach

Question 9

Evaluation - becks - symptoms (-)

Answer 9

It does not explain how some symptoms of depression might develop. Some patients show symptoms of anger, hallucinations or bizarre beliefs. Becks theory fails to account for how these symptoms occur.

Question 10

Ellis’s ABC model idea

Answer 10

He proposed that depression is caused by irrational beliefs. He devised the ABC model to explain the response to negative events and how people react different to stress and adversity.

Question 11

Ellis’s ABC Model

Answer 11

A= Activating Event: patients record events leading to negative thinking and this is triggered by an event in the environment around them such as exam failure or getting fired from work. This has a negative effect on their mood and outlook. 
B= Beliefs: Patients record their thoughts associated with the events (rational or irrational) e.g. I am stupid and useless for failing my exam. These might be recorded in a journal or diary  to keep track of their thinking. 
C= Consequences: Patients record their emotional response fo their beliefs. Irrational beliefs can lead to negative emotions such as feeling upset. Consequences could be debated with many different options e.g. if I fail chemistry and I feel that I am not good at if, the consequences coukd be that I feel upset, useless and demotivated, and could lead to me dropping out the course.

Question 12

What is mustabatory thinking

Answer 12

Ellis identified that mustabatory thinking can cause irrational and negative thinking that can be emotionally damaging and can lead to depression.
These include ‘I must be loved by everyone’ or ‘I must be good at all my subjects otherwise I am worthless’
Someone with these beliefs

Question 13

Evaluation- Ellis - Bates (+)

Answer 13

There is a lot of research to back up this idea as a cause of depression. Bates found that depressed participants who were given more and more negative thought statements because more depressed, proving this idea,this then helps provide effective treatments for curing depression (cognitive therapy via changing thoughts into positive ones)

Question 14

Evaluation- Ellis- cause and effect (-)

Answer 14

A limitation is that cause and effect is unclear. Needs to be established

Question 15

Evaluation - Ellis- blames the client (-)

Answer 15

The ABC model blames the client when looking at the causes. It gives the client some power to change the situation and improve their symptoms of depression, however it could mean that situational factors are overlooked, instead the psychologist would study the negative and irrational thoughts alone.

Question 16

Evaluation- Ellis- biological approach (-)

Answer 16

The biological approach would criticise this. It suggests that genes and neurotransmitters may cause depression. Zhang found that there is a gene related to depression that makes it ten times more likely for someone to develop the illness. This approach states that biological factors are more likely to cause depression than cognitive factors.

Question 17

Evaluation- Ellis- objective (+)

Answer 17

The model allows for sound scientific evidence that permits objective testing. This allows improvement of the model and a greater understanding for the causes of depression as a whole.

Question 18

Evaluation- Ellis - adulthood (+)

Answer 18

There is supporting evidence that people who develop depression in adulthood experienced insecure attachments in childhood. Therefore there seems to be a link with insecure childhood contributing to negative thinking which can cause depression in adulthood.