The cognitive approach to explaining depression

• What is Beck's Negative triad?

  Beck's Negative Triad - three kinds of negative thinking that make someone vulnerable to depression:

  • Negative views about oneself - "I am worthless"
  • Negative views about the future - "I will never achieve anything"
  • Negative views about the world - "The world is a hard place"
• What is a negative self-schema?

  a mental framework for objects and events (schemas) that work as shortcuts in understanding the world. This includes schemas about ourselves. Depression can result from our self-schemas being negative.
• What is faulty information processing?

  When depressed people attend to the negative aspects of a situation and ignore the positive.
• What did Ellis believe was an explanation for depression?

  Ellis believed that depression was due to irrational thoughts, not illogical or unrealistic thoughts but thoughts that interfere with us being happy or free from pain.
• What is Ellis's ABC model?

  A - the event/situation that has triggered the emotional reaction/negative feelings

  B - irrational assumptions make sense of the activating event and try to explain why it has happened

  C - the negative emotions, feelings, and dysfunctional behaviours that the activating event has caused
• What is 'musturbation'?


  the belief that we must always succeed or achieve perfection
• What is 'i-can't-stand-it-itis'?

  The belief that it is a major disaster when something does not go smoothly
• What is 'Utopianism'?


  the belief that life is always meant to be fair
• AO3: Research support

  One strength of Beck's cognitive model is that there is supporting research.

  'Cognitive vulnerability' refers to ways of thinking that may cause a person to become depressed. Researchers concluded that not only were these cognitive vulnerabilities more common in depressed people but they also lead up to depression. Cohen et al held a study with 473 adolescents regularly measuring cognitive vulnerabilities. It was found that cognitive vulnerability predicted later depression.

  This shows there is an association between cognitive vulnerability and depression.
• AO3: Real-world application

  Another strength of Beck's cognitive model is its application in screening and treatments for depression.

   Cohen et al concluded that assessing cognitive vulnerability allows psychologists to screen young people and identify those most at risk of developing depression. This can be applied to CBT which is very effective for depression, it works by altering the kind of cognitions that make people vulnerable to depression.

  This means that cognitive vulnerability is useful in more than one aspect of clinical practice.
• AO3: Real-world application

  One strength of Ellis's ABC model is its real-world application in the psychological treatment of depression.

  Ellis's approach to cognitive therapy is called Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT). REBT involves intensively arguing with a depressed person the therapist can then alter the irrational beliefs that are making them unhappy. There is some support that REBT can change both negative beliefs and relieve symptoms of depression.

  This means that REBT has real-world value.
• AO3: Reactive and endogenous depression

  One limitation of Ellis's ABC model of depression is that it only explains reactive depression and not endogenous depression.

  Although many cases of depression can be traced back to a negative life event (reactive depression), lots of cases cannot be traced back to a specific event life event. (this is endogenous depression). Ellis's ABC model can't explain this as it doesn't have an activating event.

  This means that Ellis's ABC model can only explain some cases of depression and is therefore a partial explanation.