Psychopathology - cognitive approach in explaining depression Flashcards
What are the two ways in explaining depression
Negative triad
ABC model
What is a negative triad and who proposed it
Beck suggested that a person develops a dysfunctional view of themselves because of three types of negative thinking that occur automatically, regardless of the reality of what is happening at the time
These three elements are called the negative triad
1) Negative view of the world
2) Negative view of the future
3) Negative view of yourself
What are the two things Beck suggested are parts to cognitive vulnerability other than the negative triad
Faulty information processing - Beck suggested some people are more prone to depression because of faulty information processing i.e thinking in a flawed way
Depressed people attend to the negative aspects of a situation and ignore positives, also tend to blow small things out of proportion and in think ‘black and white’ terms
Negative self schema
- a schema is a package of ideas with info developed through experience.
- use schema to interpret the world, so if person has negative schema they interpret all info about themselves in negative way
Explain the ABC model and who was it proposed by?
Proposed by Ellis, it was suggested by Ellis that good mental health is the result of rational thinking. Conditions like anxiety and depression result from irrational thoughts
Used the ABC model to explain how irrational thoughts affect out behaviour and emotional state
A - activating event - in which irrational thoughts are triggered by external events
B - beliefs - range of irrational beliefs associated with the event
C - consequences - when activating event triggers irrational beliefs there are emotional and behavioural consequences
What are the strengths of Beck’s proposals in explaining depression?
Supporting research
Real world application
Explain why one strength of Beck’s model in explaining depression is supporting research (A03)
(3 psychologists)
Point - One strength of Beck’s model is supporting research
Evidence - Clark and Beck concluded that cognitive vulnerabilities e.g faulty info processing and negative self schema) more common in depressed people
Recent study by Cohen tracked 473 adolescents development and found that early cognitive vulnerability predicted later depression.
These are two valid research in supporting Beck’s suggestions
Link - Shows that there is an association between cognitive vulnerability and depression
Explain why one strength of Beck’s model in explaining depression is its real world application to screening for depressions
Point - Another strength is its real world application
Explanation - Assessing cognitive vulnerability in young people most at risk of developing depression means they can be monitored
Understanding cognitive vulnerability is applied in CBT to alter cognitions underlying depression , making person more resilient to life events
Link - Means that idea of cognitive vulnerability useful in clinical practice
Why is a limitation of Beck’s model is that it only focuses on individuals thoughts and not external? (A03)
Only focuses on the individual’s thoughts and not on other external factors that can contribute to depression.
For example, research has shown that people who experience stressful life events are more likely to become depressed, regardless of their thinking patterns.
So while thoughts are important, they are not the only thing that matters.
A limitation of Beck’s model is that does not explain why….
(A03)
why some people are more vulnerable to developing depression than others
It could be due to genetic factors, early life experiences, or something else entirely. This is an area that requires further research.
What is a strength of Ellis’s model?
Application in treating depression
Why is a strength of Ellis’s model in explaining depression is the application in treating depression? (A03)
Point - One strength of Ellis’s model is its application in treating depression
Explanation - Ellis applied the ABC model to treat depression (rational emotive behaviour, therapy, REBT)
Evidence - Evidence that REBT can both change negative beliefs and relieve the symptoms of depression according to David
Link - Meaning that REBT has real world value
What is a limitation of Ellis’s model?
Only explains reactive depression
Explain why a limitation of Ellis’s model in explaining depression is that it only explains reactive depression (A03)
Point - One limitation of Ellis’s model only explains reactive depression
Explanation - Reactive depression describes a form of depression which is triggered by negative activating events
However in many cases it is not obvious what triggers depression, described as endogenous depression. Ellis’s model is less useful in explaining this
Link - Means the model can only explain some cases of depression
