The Cognitive Approach to explaining Depression

Question 1

The Cognitive Approach to Depression

Answer 1

We must refer to mental/thought processes to explain behaviour

Question 2

Cognitive Approach: Key Assumptions

Answer 2

Thought processes can and should be studied scientifically

The mind works like a computer:
Input —> Processing —> Output

We must acknowledge the mental/thought processes that occur between a stimulus and response

Question 3

what is a schema

Answer 3

Schema: a cognitive framework, formed through personal experience, that helps to organise and interpret information in the brain.

Question 4

what did Beck say

Answer 4

People become depressed because the world is seen negatively through negative schemas

Question 5

what is a negative schema

Answer 5

Negative schemas are acquired during childhood, when authority figures place unreal demands on individuals and are highly critical of them.
They are activated when a person encounters a new situation that resembles the original conditions in which these schemas were learned.
Negative schemas lead to cognitive biases, which results in distorted/faulty thought patterns.

Question 6

Examples of Cognitive Biases
what is selective abstraction

Answer 6

Selective abstraction - conclusions drawn from an isolated detail of an event, without considering the larger context.

e.g. Someone attends a party and afterward focuses on the one awkward look directed her way and ignores the hours of smiles.

Question 7

Examples of Cognitive Biases
what is overgeneralisation

Answer 7

Overgeneralisation - sweeping conclusions drawn on the basis of a single event.

e.g. Believing that if one public speaking event went badly that all of them will.

Question 8

what is Beck’s Negative Triad

Answer 8

A model of the cognitive biases which are characteristic features of depression.

Question 9

The triad consists of 3 elements, or pessimistic thought patterns, about:

Answer 9

1. The Self - where individuals see themselves as being helpless, worthless and inadequate.
2. The World - where obstacles are perceived within one’s environment that cannot be dealt with.
3. The Future - where personal worthlessness is seen as blocking any improvements.

Question 10

how is the negative triad maintained

Answer 10

Negative schemas, together with cognitive biases/distortions, maintain the negative triad:

Question 11

Ellis’ ABC Model

Answer 11

Ellis believed that it is our irrational thoughts and interpretations of events that cause depression

Activating event: something happens in the environment and around you
Beliefs: You hold a belief about the event or situation
Consequence: You have an emotional response to your belief

Question 12

Mustabatory ThinkingThe source of irrational beliefs

Answer 12

Thinking that certain ideas/assumptions must be true in order for an individual to be happy

Ellis identified the 3 most important irrational beliefs:
“I must be approved of or accepted by people I find important”
“I must do (very) well, or I am worthless”
“The world must give me happiness, or I will die”

Question 13

Therapeutic success supports the cognitive approach to explaining depression.

Answer 13

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is found to be the most effective treatment for depression, especially when combined with drug treatments (Cuijpers et al., 2013).
(CBT identifies irrational and maladaptive thoughts/beliefs and restructures them into more adaptive and rational ones)

This suggests that irrational/negative thoughts have a role in causing the depression in the first place.

Question 14

However, there is a cause-effect issue

Answer 14

The fact that there is a link between negative thoughts and depression does not mean that negative thoughts cause depression.
It may be that a depressed individual develops a negative way of thinking as a consequence of their depression i.e. the negative thoughts are a symptom of the depression.

This therefore undermines the validity of both Ellis and Beck’s cognitive explanations and suggests that there may be other causes. For example, the negative thoughts might have a biological cause e.g. low levels of serotonin.

Question 15

Negative/irrational thoughts might be realistic.

Answer 15

Alloy & Abrahmson (1979): Depressive realists tend to see things for what they are
(with normal people tending to view the world through ‘rose-coloured spectacles’).
They found that depressed people gave more accurate estimates of the likelihood of a disaster than ‘normal’ controls – the ‘sadder, but wiser’ effect

This therefore implies that not all beliefs are ‘irrational’, although they may simply seem irrational.

Question 16

The cognitive approach does not acknowledge current situational factors. It blames the client, suggesting that they are responsible for their disorder.

Answer 16

Irrational environments:
Certain environments may continue to produce and reinforce irrational thoughts and maladaptive behaviours e.g. life events/family problems may have contributed to depression

Therefore, treatment which overlooks such factors would not prove to be as effective – the individual might need to change aspects of their environment and life, rather than their thoughts.