UD Non-Biological Explanation

Question 1

UD Non-Biological Explanation - Cognitive Aaron Beck

Answer 1

Focused on faulty cognitions, although they are a symptom they could also be the explanation for the depression.

Beck argues that depressed people make three major types of cognitive error (negative cognitive triad): Pessimistic and irrational thoughts about the self, future and the world.

Question 2

The Self

Answer 2

The self is where they believe they are worthless, a failure, unattractive etc.

Question 3

The Future

Answer 3

The future is where they always view the future in a negative way, they have nothing to look forward to and won’t accomplish anything.

Question 4

The World

Answer 4

The world is where they view the world around them as hopeless.

Question 5

Aaron Beck Support

Answer 5

Jonathan Evans et al 2005 study supports this. He measured the self-beliefs of 12,003 women who were 18 weeks pregnant. The women with the most negative ones were more likely to become depressed than the positive ones, even after 3 years. Supporting Beck’s view that negative beliefs cause depression.

Question 6

Aaron Beck Competing

Answer 6

A competing argument is Kevin Dohr et al who found that negative self beliefs expressed during a depressive episode usually become positive once the episode is over.

Question 7

Ellis’ ABC Theory

Answer 7

Ellis believes rational thinking allows us to be happy and free of psychological pain, anything else is irrational.

Question 8

Ellis’ 3 parts - A

Answer 8

A - Activating event - Irrational thoughts are triggered by a situation. Depression occurs when there is a negative external event which then causes irrational thinking.

Question 9

B

Answer 9

B - Beliefs - A person’s beliefs about an event causes depression. He has named some irrational self defeating beliefs like musterbation when they believe they have to be perfect, and utopianism where life should always be fair.

Question 10

C

Answer 10

C - Consequences - Irrational beliefs have emotional and behavioural consequences. If someone believes life should always be fair, they will become depressed when it is not fair.

Question 11

Ellis Support

Answer 11

it can be applied for effective depression treatments. Lipsky et al (1980) supports Ellis’ view that challenging irrational beliefs of depressed people can improve their symptoms.

Question 12

Ellis and Beck Weakness

Answer 12

reductionist, it cannot explain all the aspects of depression as it is a very complex disorder, everyone experiences different symptoms and symptom severity. Their explanations cannot account for every variety of depression experiences.