Psychopathology - Cognitive Explanation for Depression Flashcards
What is a schema?
A ‘package’ of knowledge, which stores information and ideas about our self and the world around it
What does Beck believe about schemas?
Depressed people possess negative self-schemas
How is a person with a negative self-schema likely to interpret information about themselves?
In a negative way, which could lead to cognitive biases
Cognitive biases
Thinking in a bias way
Ineptness schema
Expect to fail
Self-blame schema
Feel responsible for all misfortunes
Negative self-evaluation schemas
Constantly remind depressives of their worthlessness
When is a negative schema acquired and developed?
In childhood and adolescence when authority figures put highly critical, unrealistically high demands upon them
What happens when a negative schema develops?
A negative framework develops making events start to be seen pessimistically
What do the pessimistic views become in adulthood?
They become biases
What is a healthy interpretation of a negative event - example: break up?
“Plenty of other fish in the sea”
“We weren’t compatible anyway”
“More freedom”
What is a depressive interpretation of a negative event? Example: break up
“I wasn’t good enough for her” - Self
“Everyone thinks I’m not good enough - World
“I’ll never find anyone” - Future
What did Beck want to find in his research?
If certain themes appeared in depressed patients that didn’t appear in non-depressed patients
What Certain themes did Beck look out for?
Low self-esteem, self-blame, overwhelming responsibilities, anxiety
What did Beck find about depressed people?
They had stereotypical responses to situations (E.g. feeling inferior if a passer by didn’t smile at them). They regarded themselves as inferior
What did distortions (having misleading account of situation) tend to be for depressed people?
Automatic, persistent and involuntary
Conclusion of Beck’s study
Even in mild depression, patients have cognitive distortions that deviate from logical thinking
Supporting evaluation of Beck’s research
Depressed people did have different patterns of thinking compared to non-depressed patients
Non supporting evaluation of Beck’s research
People may give socially desirable responses to questions asked to them
What does Ellis believe depressed people blame for their unhappiness?
External events
What causes the consequence (depression) according to Ellis?
The interpretation the person has on the event
What does the ABC model explain?
Responses to negative events
Who developed ABC model?
Ellis
A of ABC model
Activating event - triggering event that happens in environment
B of ABC model
Beliefs - you hold a belief of the situation which can be irrational or rational
C of ABC model
Consequences - you have emotional responses to your belief
