The cognitive approach to explaining depression Flashcards
Who proposed the ABC model?
Albert Ellis
What is the ABC model?
A model used to help individuals recognise their irrational beliefs
What does the A stand for in the ABC model?
Activating event
What does the B stand for in the ABC model?
Belief (irrational or rational)
What does the C stand for in the ABC model?
Consequence (irrational or rational)
What is musturbatory thinking?
Thinking that certain ideas or assumptions must be true in order for happiness
What did Ellis identify as the 3 most important irrational beliefs?
I must be approved of by people I find important, I must do well or I am worthless and the world must give me happiness or I will die
Why is musturbatory thinking bad?
Because the assumptions are irrational, and will lead to disappointment
Who proposed the negative triad?
Aaron Beck
What is a schema?
A cognitive framework that helps us to assimilate new information
What is the negative triad explanation of depression?
A cognitive approach to understanding depression, focusing on negative expectations
What type of schema did Beck suggest that depressed people have?
A negative schema (acquired during childhood)
What activates the negative schemas of depressed people?
Encountering a new situation that resembles the original conditions in which these schemas were learnt
What do negative schemas lead to?
Systematic cognitive biases
What are the 3 components of Beck’s negative triad?
Negative view of the world, negative view of the self and negative view of the future
What are the 4 AO3 points of the cognitive explanation of depression?
1) Blames the patient
2) Practical applications to therapy
3) Irrational beliefs may be realistic
4) Alternative explanations
Why is blaming the client for their depression empowering?
It makes them feel in control of their disorder + allows them to feel responsible for changing
Why is blaming the client for their depression problematic?
It can lead to the oversight of situational factors that may have caused the depression
Which type of therapy has used the negative triad and ABC model to treat depression?
CBT
What has research found about the effectiveness of CBT?
It is the most effective treatment for depression when paired with drug therapy
What has been suggested about the perception of depressive realists?
They tend to see the world for how it actually is
What did one study find about depressive realists?
They gave a more accurate estimate of the likelihood of disaster when compared to a control group
What is the sadder but wiser effect?
Depressed individuals make more realistic inferences than non-depressed individuals
What alternative explanation may better explain depression?
The biological explanation
What biological component may be responsible for depression?
Neurotransmitters
What did one study find about the neurotransmitters of depressed people?
They have lower than average serotonin levels
What has research found about the gene associated with lower serotonin levels?
It is 10x more common in depressed individuals
