Cognitive Explanations of Depression

• Becks Negative Triad

  
• Outline of Becks Negative Triad

  • People with depression are stuck in a cycle of negative thinking caused by negative schemas
  • These negative schemas lead to a tendency to be pessimistic
  • As an adult, these become cognitive errors
• Cognitive Errors

  Magnification- The importance of insignificant and negative events, like a little mistake, is exaggerated

  Minimisation- The importance of something significant and positive, such as a personal achievement, is lessened

  Over Generalisation- Apply one experience to all experiences, including those in the future
• Ellis' ABC Model

  
• Outline Ellis' ABC Model

  • Belief that events do not cause emotions; rather, our beliefs about the event cause our emotional response
  • If our beliefs are irrational, this will cause unhealthy emotions and ultimately can explain depression
• Strength of Cognitive Explanations for Depression

  Has good Practical Applications (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy).

  CBT is widely recognised as the most effective treatment option for depression.
• Limitation of Cognitive Explanations for Depression

  Critics argue there is a problem with direction of causality.

  It may be that irrational thoughts and cognitive errors are the result of being depressed, not the cause of the depression
• Limitation of Cognitive Explanations for Depression

  If irrational thoughts and cognitive errors are the result of being depressed, rather than the cause, then there must be some other cause which is not being addressed by cognitive explanatioins.

  For example, there may be a biological basis to aggression.

  Some people could be predisposed to depression because of their genes. It is possible genes affect the serotonin system, in which case the cause of depression is abnormal brain chemistry