Evaluations

• 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞��𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐬:

  • Practical applications - CBT aims to identify automatic thoughts about self, world and future and to challenge these to lead to a positive emotional state.
  • Research evidence - 𝙇𝙡𝙤𝙮𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙇𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙢𝙖𝙣. Participants to recall pleasant/unpleasant experiences, those with low level depression responded faster when recalling pleasant memories that those with deeper depression. This supports the idea that depressed people have automatic thinking.
• 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:

  • Not considering biological factors - 𝘾𝙪𝙞𝙟𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙡 found that CBT was most effective when combined with drugs. It isn’t as simple as negative thoughts causing depression.
  • Cause and effect - difficult to test whether irrational thinking causes depression. Difficult to distinguish as to whether the irrational thinking is a cause or consequence of depression.
  • Not always irrational - depressed people can have rational thinking. 𝘼𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙝𝙢𝙨𝙤𝙣 found that depressed people were more accurate in rating the likelihood of a disaster.