Explanation

• What did Koster et al., (2005) find when conducting a study investigating attention?


  Participants with major depression took longer than the control to indicate where a square had appeared when presented with a negative distractor word beforehand (e.g. weak)
• What does Koster’s study support in Beck’s model?

  Core claim of depression being the result of faulty informational processing
• Why is it significant that Koster’s study support Beck’s core claim?


  Quantitative data to support negative cognitive bias
• What did Evan et al., (2005) find in depressed individuals?


  Tendency to have maladaptive thoughts and the more they hold, the more severe their depression
• How does Evan’s correlational research suggest that Beck’s model is not compelling?

  Inability to establish cause and effect, it is unclear whether negative thinking causes depression or vice versa
• What is a problem of correlational studies supporting Beck’s model?


  Cannot explicitly support the key theoretical claims of Beck’s negative triad; thus difficult to establish internal validity
• How is it beneficial cognitive explanations of depression have developed treatments?

  Cognitive approach provides practical real-world applications; reintegration of individuals
• How much was annually spent on mental health and depression from the British economy due to inadequate treatments?


  £118b
• Why is it disadvantageous that cognitive explanations are too simplistic in the causation of depression?


  The cause of depression is not in itself because of irrational thinking, rather irrational thinking is a by-product of depression
• Why is it significant that the narration of depression is too simplistic?

  More advisable approach would be the stress-diathesis, where genetic vulnerability for depression causes negative irrational thinking
• What are the implications of treatment if the cognitive approach is too simplistic?

  Cognitive treatments alone not most effective - used alongside antidepressants (SSRIs), seen as gold standard to treating major depression
• Discuss cognitive explanations of depression (16 marker)

  AO1: Beck (1976)

  AO3 (+): Koster et al., (2005)

  AO3 (-) Evans et al., (2005)

  AO1: Ellis (1962)

  AO3 (+): Treatment

  AO3 (-): Simplistic