Psychopathology - cognitive approach to depression Flashcards
How does the cognitive approach explain Depression?
Explains Depression as being caused by the way we think
What does Beck’s negative triad suggest?
Depressed people have negative views about the world, themselves and the future which causes them to become depressed
Example of Beck’s negative triad
e.g. the person may think that they are unattractive, that the world is uncaring, and that things won’t get better in the future
What are negative schemas?
- Negative schemas are a set of beliefs which are self-blaming and pessimistic
- which Beck claimed may be acquired in childhood following a traumatic event
What does Beck argue about negative schemas?
- argues that negative schemas lead to negative automatic thoughts
- which arise spontaneously without deliberate choice and are critical and derogatory
Other than leading to negative automatic thoughts, what else to negative schemas lead to?
Cognitive errors which are logical errors in thinking
What two components maintain the negative triad?
Negative schemas and cognitive errors
What does Ellis’ ABC model propose? Give 2 examples
- proposes an activating event
e.g. failing a test
-leads to an irrational belief
e.g. I’m not clever - which has the consequence of the person feeling depressed
Define utopianism and what it means
- utopianism is an irrational belief
- it is the belief that life is always meant to be fair
- are triggered by an activating event which leads to behavioural and emotional consequences
What does Ellis believe is the cause of Depression?
- according to Ellis, it is the interpretation of the event that is the cause of the Depression
- and that depressives mistakenly blame their Depression on the event
Give an example of Ellis’ belief on what causes Depression
e.g. rather than seeing themselves as a failure or not being clever having failed a test, someone else may believe that they’ll do better next time
