The Cognitive Approach to Explaining Depression

Question 1

What does the cognitive approach generally explain depression in terms of?

Answer 1

In terms of faulty and irrational thought processes and perceptions.

Question 2

Explain Negative self schemas:

Answer 2

Negative schemas develop in childhood and adolescence as a result of rejection by parents or friends in the form of criticism and exclusion. This filters into adulthood providing a negative framework to view life in a pessimistic fashion. BECK found that depressed ppl develop negative schemas about themselves which makes them think in a negative way.

Question 3

Who came up with the Negative Cognitive Triad:

Answer 3

Aaron Beck

Question 4

Beck believed negative thinking comes ________ the development of depression.

Answer 4

BEFORE

Question 5

Explain the Negative Cognitive Triad:

Answer 5

• Beck believed depression has 3 components called cognitive tried: negative view of SELF, WORLD and FUTURE
• Beck believes these negative views interfere w/ normal cognitive activities such as memory and problem solving
• Each one feeds into the other

Question 6

State the 3 components of negative cognitive triad:

Answer 6

• Negative view of SELF
• Negative view of WORLD
• Negative view of FUTURE

Question 7

Explain Negative view of SELF:

Answer 7

• begins in childhood as negative self schemas from experiences (e.g. rejection from peers) - individual see themselves as helpless, worthless and inadequate
• E.g. “I am unattractive, there is nothing to like about me”
• Feeds into negative view of world

Question 8

Explain Negative view of WORLD:

Answer 8

• obstacles and issues are perceived within ones environment that cannot be dealt with.
• E.g. “I understand why people do not love me”
• Feeds into negative view of future

Question 9

Explain Negative view of FUTURE:

Answer 9

• where personal worthlessness is seen as blocking any improvements
• E.g. “I’m hopeless because things will always be this way

Question 10

What do the negative views form:

Answer 10

An unending, intrusive cycle of depressive thoughts that cannot be controlled by the thinker

Question 11

What maintains the negative triad:

Answer 11

Negative schemas + cognitive biases

Question 12

State the two cognitive biases:

Answer 12

• Selective attention
• Over generalisation

Question 13

Explain selective attention:

Answer 13

Individuals focus selectively on certain aspects of a situation (usually negative) and ignore equally relevant information

Question 14

Explain over generalisation:

Answer 14

Making a sweeping conclusion on the basis of a single event.

Question 15

What was Ellis’ model called:

Answer 15

ABC Model

Question 16

What does Albert Ellis believe about depression?

Answer 16

• believes that depressives mistakenly blame external events for their unhappiness- it is their interpretation of these events that is to blame for their distress.
• he proposed the key to depression lies in irrational beliefs triggered by unpleasant events.

Question 17

What does the A in the ABC model stand for:

Answer 17

Activating Event

Question 18

What does the B in the ABC model stand for:

Answer 18

Belief

Question 19

What does the C in the ABC model stand for:

Answer 19

Consequence

Question 20

Explain the Activating event in the ABC model:

Answer 20

• a circumstance, event or experience that occurs in the environment around you. Can also be thinking about that event.
• this will trigger beliefs about the event
• e.g. failing exam

Question 21

Explain the Belief in the ABC model:

Answer 21

• beliefs are triggered by the activating event
• can either be irrational or rational
• e.g. irrational = “I am too stupid to pass exams”

Question 22

Explain the Consequence in the ABC model:

Answer 22

• your reaction to the beliefs
• rational thoughts -> healthy emotions and reactions
• irrational thoughts -> lead to unhealthy emotions and reactions which in turn lead to depression
• e.g. leave college and become depressed

Question 23

Strength is there is a wealth of research to support Beck’s cognitive explanation.

Answer 23

Koster et al’s study used student volunteers who took part in an attention task and were presented with positive, negative and neutral words. They found that depressed participants spent longer attending to the negative words than the non-depressed group. This result demonstrates selective attention and cognitive biases in people with depression that makes them attend to negative information and aspects of their life rather than the positive and reinforces their negative thoughts. Adding validity to cognitive explanation of depression.

Question 24

Both Ellis’ ABC model and Beck’s cognitive explanation of depression have led to practical applications in the treatment of depression.

Answer 24

Understanding that negative schemas lead to depression led to development of treatments like CBT which targets faulty schemas and beliefs, breaks them down and replaces them with positive beliefs to treat symptoms of depression. Furthermore, Beck reviewed the effectiveness of CBT and found it highly effective in treating depression demonstrates that the underlying assumptions of the cognitive approach to depression are valid and that it can improve the lives of people with depression.

Question 25

A weakness is that the cognitive approach of depression is overly focused on internal mental thoughts and ignores credible research from other approaches.

Answer 25

For example, it underplays the biological aspects and the role of low levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin in development of depression. Research from Giltin demonstrating the effectiveness of drug therapies (which correct levels of neurotransmitters) in treating depression further solidifies the validity of the biological approach. This shows that to fully depression it is important to take a more holistic outlook which includes biological and psychological theories, Since the cognitive approach does not do that, it can be considered incomplete.

Question 26

A further weakness is that the supporting evidence is largely correlational.

Answer 26

This means that it is not possible to determine if negative schemas/irrational beliefs are the cause of depression or if these cognitive features are a consequence of having depression. If the former is true, the cognitive theory is validated.
However, if the latter is true there must be an alternate cause for depression that is beyond the scope of the cognitive approach. For example, depressive tendencies and moods are developed from imitating role models showing similar behaviours. Since the supporting research behind cognitive explanations of depression is inconclusive and has questionable validity, this undermines the validity of the approach itself.