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
