The cognitive approach to explaining depression

Question 1

What is are Becks three theories

Answer 1

• faulty information processing = depressed people often ignore the positives of a situation and focus on the negatives
• Negative self schema = schemas act as a mental framework for sensory information and these mean depressed people interpret all information negatively
• The negative triad= negative feelings about oneself, the future and the world

Question 2

Who created the negative triad?

Answer 2

• Beck

Question 3

Who created the ABC model

Answer 3

• ellis

Question 4

Outline Ellis’ ABC model

Answer 4

A = activating event, there is an external event that triggers irrational thoughts
B = Beliefs = irrational beliefs such as i-cant-stand-it-itis, musturbation and utopianism
C = consequences which affect individuals emotionally and behaviourally

Question 5

Evaluate Becks negative triad

Answer 5

Strength = Beck and Clarks researched the effects of cognitive vulnerability(faulty info processing, negative self schemas) and found that they preceded depression. This was confirmed by Cohen who tracked 473 adolescents and found that the individuals who were cognitively vunerable were more likely to develop depression
Strength = understanding cognitive vunerability through research like cohens can be applied within CBT and alerting these cognitive behaviours can improve depression

Question 6

Evaluate the ABC model

Answer 6

Strength = real world applications in REBT. REBT challenges paitents irrational beliefs through intense arguing and this has been shown to relieve symptoms of depression
L = the ABC model only explains reactive depression and not endogenous depression. some peoples depression is not traceable to life events and therefore the ABC model doesnt work on them.