Non Biological Explanation for Depression - Cognitive Explanation

Question 1

What is cognitive psychology interested in?

Answer 1

Interested in cognition (thinking)

Depression is due to faulty or maladaptive thinking

Question 2

What three parts are there in Beck’s cognitive model of depression?

Answer 2

Cognitive triad

Schemata

Cognitive errors

Question 3

What is cognitive triad on Beck’s cognitive model of depression?

Answer 3

Negative thoughts about self, world and our future

About self - feeling inadequate
About world - all experiences that we have will be negative
Future - nothing will change

Question 4

What is schema?

Answer 4

‘Packet of information’ which we use to tell us how to behave / what to expect in a certain situation

Developed through experiences

Question 5

What is schemata in Beck’s cognitive model of depression?

Answer 5

Might develop negative schemata through unpleasant experiences when we are children - e.g. bullying, parental breakups

Can lead to withdrawal from others to avoid rejection/bullying

Depressed individuals will have many negative schemata

Question 6

What are cognitive errors in Beck’s cognitive model of depression?

Answer 6

Inaccurate thoughts which we use to reinforce negative thinking and keep us feeling bad about ourselves

Overgeneralisation - if something bad happens once we expect it to happen again next time we are in the same situation

Catastrophising - thinking of the worst possible scenario and fully believing that will happen

Question 7

What is the relationship between depression and negative thoughts?

Answer 7

More negative thoughts = more severe depression

Question 8

What is selective attention?

Answer 8

A depressed individual will have selective attention

Only focuses on negative aspects of an event / conversation

Question 9

What is the supporting evidence/strengths of Beck’s cognitive model of depression as a cognitive explanation for depression?

Answer 9

Alloy and Abramson (1999)

Beck et al (1967)

Reductionism

Psychology in society

Beck’s depression inventory

Question 10

What is the refuting evidence/weaknesses of Beck’s cognitive model of depression as a cognitive explanation for depression?

Answer 10

Kendler

Scientific evidence

Psychology as a science

Direction of effects

Monoamine hypothesis

Question 11

Why is Alloy and Abramson (1999) supporting evidence of Beck’s cognitive model of depression as a cognitive explanation for depression?

Answer 11

Alloy and Abramson conducted a longitudinal study of the thinking styles of young Americans in their early 20’s for 6 years. Their thinking style was tested and they were placed in either the ‘positive thinking group’ or ‘negative thinking group’.

After 6 years the researchers found that only 1% of the positive group developed depression compared to 17% of the ‘negative’ group.

This is a strength because these results support the cognitive model and the idea of negative thinking as an explanation of depression.

Furthermore, the research is longitudinal and therefore advantageous because it is studying developmental changes in the sample.

Question 12

Why is Beck et al (1967) supporting evidence of Beck’s cognitive model of depression as a cognitive explanation for depression?

Answer 12

Beck et al investigated the cognitive distortions in patients with depression using thought diaries and demonstrated that several themes appeared in the depressed patients’ thoughts that did not appear in non-depressed patients. These included low self- esteem and self-blame.

This is a strength because it supports the cognitive model’s assumption that patients with depression exhibit more cognitive distortions by using a control group for comparison.

Question 13

Why is reductionism as strength of Beck’s cognitive model of depression as a cognitive explanation for depression?

Answer 13

The cognitive model considers both environmental and cognitive factors. The role of early experiences in the development of negative schemata is acknowledged by the model; predisposing the individual to developing depression as an adult.

This is a strength because the cognitive explanation may be viewed as more holistic because it acknowledges multiple factors which combine in the onset of depression. It is not simply isolating one specific factor.

Question 14

Why is psychology in society a strength of Beck’s cognitive model of depression as a cognitive explanation for depression?

Answer 14

This explanation has led to the development of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) which has been found to be effective in treating depression by focusing upon issues around negative schemata and thoughts and changing these to more positive thoughts

This is a strength because the success of CBT in reducing the symptoms of depression supports the link between negative thoughts and depression.

Question 15

Why is Beck’s depression inventory a strength of Beck’s cognitive model of depression as a cognitive explanation for depression?

Answer 15

The explanation led to the development of Beck’s Depression Inventory. This is a self-report questionnaire consisting of 21 multi-choice items relating to symptoms of depression such as feelings of guilt, fatigue and weight loss.

This is a strength because it provides a way of collecting quantitative data/scores about each patient allowing the clinician to establish the severity of their depression.

Question 16

Why is Kendler refuting evidence of Beck’s cognitive model of depression as a cognitive explanation for depression?

Answer 16

Kendler found that concordance rates for depression in mono-zygotic twins were 76% whereas the concordance rates for depression in di-zygotic twins were 19%.

This is a weakness because these findings do point to genes being an important factor in the development of depression rather than cognitive differences therefore challenging the cognitive model of depression.

However, genes do not fully explain depression because the concordance rate for MZ twins is not 100% therefore environmental factors must also play a role.

Question 17

Why is scientific evidence a weakness of Beck’s cognitive model of depression as a cognitive explanation for depression?

Answer 17

There is strong, scientific evidence from genetic testing that genetic inheritance and biological differences are much more important in the development of depression than cognitive causes.

This is a weakness because it challenges the cognitive model of depression by providing more credible evidence based on genetic testing.

Question 18

Why is psychology as a science a weakness of Beck’s cognitive model of depression as a cognitive explanation for depression?

Answer 18

It is incredibly difficult to measure thoughts and therefore the assumptions being made are often based upon data collected via self-report methods such as thought diaries.

This is a weakness because self-report measures are prone to being subjective and rely upon the patient being open and honest about how they feel. Some self-report data may be prone to social desirability bias and this would not be viewed as having scientific credibility.

Question 19

Why is direction of effects a weakness of Beck’s cognitive model of depression as a cognitive explanation for depression?

Answer 19

It is difficult to establish the direction of effects regarding negative thinking and depression. Negative thoughts seem to disappear when depression stops, which may suggest faulty thinking comes with depression rather than being a cause of it.

This is a weakness because the evidence is correlational, and no cause-and-effect statements can be made. It is unclear as to whether negative thoughts cause depression or are a product of having depression.

Question 20

Why is the monoamine hypothesis a weakness of Beck’s cognitive model of depression as a cognitive explanation for depression?

Answer 20

(A comparison point between monoamine hypothesis and Beck’s model)

The monoamine hypothesis is based on scientific evidence from PET scans which makes it more scientifically credible than Beck’s cognitive model.