becks

• What are the three factors of Beck's explanation for depression?

  (IN ORDER)

  • Negative self-schemas (the result of negative childhood experiences)
  • Cognitive biases (lead to faulty thinking)
  • Negative triad

  = depression (if experiences critical life event)
• Outline Beck's negative triad

  -> Negative view of self -> Negative view of the future -> Negative view of world ->

  • Faulty information processing = focus of negative rather than positive
  • Biased negative interpretations
• Outline Beck's cognitive biases

  • Prone to distorting/misinterpreting info
  • Overgeneralising
  • Arbitrary inference
  • Catastrophising
  • Magnification/Minimisation
• What is the definition of catastrophising?

  cognitive distortion that causes people to jump to the worst possible conclusion with limited info or reason to despair

  e.g, excessive worry over social acceptance
• What is the definition of arbitrary inference?

  forming an I interpretation of a situation/event/experience when there is no factual evidence to support a conclusion or is contrary to evidence

  e.g, feeling of social judgement with no justification
• What is the definition of magnification and minimisation?

  people exaggerate certain aspects of themselves/others/situations whilst also simultaneously downplaying others

  e.g, underestimating abilities whilst inflating flaws
• What is the definition of overgeneralising?

  patient pattern of drawing a general conclusion bout ability/performance/worth based on one incident

  e.g, one criticism diminishes self-worth
• Outline Beck's negative schemas

  • Schema = cognitive structure/framework that helps interpret/organise info that is built from experiences in childhood
  • Things that don't fit into the schema can be ignored/distorted (e.g, hatred of exams can cause a good result to be overlooked)
  • Selectively process info that confirms negative self-beliefs and ignores evidence that contradicts - the result of criticism/rejection in childhood
  • Positively reinforcing negative belief