The cognitive approach to explaining depression

• Identify the tow cognitive explanations for depression.

  Beck’s negative triad and Ellis’ ABC model.
• Outline Beck’s negative triad

  • Negative schemas develop from negative experiences, leading to cognitive biases.
  • Selective perception – Focuses on negatives, ignoring positives.
  • Magnification – Exaggerates negative consequences.
  • Overgeneralization – Assumes all future experiences will be negative.
  • These biases maintain the negative triad (negative views of self, world, and future).
  • This leads to depressive symptoms like low mood and low self-esteem.
• Outline Ellis’ ABC model.

  • Ellis’ ABC Model explains depression through Activating event → Belief → Consequence.
  • Beliefs can be rational (e.g., job loss due to competition) or irrational (e.g., “I’m useless”).
  • Rational beliefs lead to positive emotions and behaviors (hope, job-seeking).
  • Irrational beliefs cause negative emotions and behaviors (low mood, social withdrawal).
  • Mustabatory thinking – Believing certain things must happen for happiness, leading to irrational beliefs when unmet.
• Why is it difficult to establish cause and effect in cognitive explanations of depression?

  It's unclear if irrational thinking causes depression or if it's a symptom of it, meaning treatments may only suppress symptoms rather than address the root cause.
• How has Beck’s and Ellis’ models contributed to treating depression?

  They led to the development of CBT, which challenges irrational beliefs using logical, empirical, and pragmatic disputing. CBT’s effectiveness supports the credibility of cognitive explanations.
• Why can't Beck’s and Ellis’ models explain all cases of depression?

  They don’t account for cases where depression develops without a negative event, suggesting biological factors (e.g., low serotonin levels) could be a cause.
• Why do cognitive explanations have more positive implications than biological theories?

  They suggest depression can be treated by changing irrational thoughts, whereas biological theories suggest genetic factors, which individuals cannot control, possibly worsening feelings of hopelessness.