Outline the cognitive explanation of depression
Cognitive explanation (12 marks – 4+8) The cognitive explanation of depression is a psychological explanation proposed by Beck. He believed that people who are depressed make fundamental errors in logic. Beck (1991) proposed that depression is rooted in three maladaptive assumptions: negative thoughts of self; of circumstances; and of the future which is known as the cognitive triad. He suggested that depressive people draw illogical conclusions which lead to a distorted reality. An example of these cognitive distortions is Magnification; the tendency to exaggerate the significance of an event and Minimisation; the tendency to underplay a positive event. Beck also does not rule out a genetic component as he also suggests that negative cognitions may be as a result of inheriting different temperaments and that traumatic events and negative treatment in childhood can create negative schemas. One of these types of negative schemas that characterise depression is sociotrophy which relates to interpersonal relationships and individuals. A strength of the cognitive explanation of depression is that it has practical applications for the treatment of depression. They have stimulated huge amounts of research that has contributed to our understanding of the disorder and how to treat it. They have given rise to one of the most effective treatment for depression – CBT. This
Is Cognitive Therapy an Efficacious Treatment for Depression?
Is Cognitive Therapy an Efficacious Treatment for Depression? Tesni Rowlands Deakin University Waurn Ponds Subject: HPS308 Psychopathology Assignment: Assignment 1 Essay Student No.: 700165229 Unit Chair: Dr Eric Koukounas Tutor: Shannon Hyder Submitted: 25 August 2010 Word Count: 2016 Is Cognitive Therapy an Efficacious Treatment for Depression? Introduction Major depressive disorder, better known as clinical depression, is a mental disorder which is characterized by symptoms such as feelings of worthlessness, loss of sleep, loss of interest and an inability to experience pleasure for a period lasting longer than two weeks (Barlow & Durand, 2005). Traditionally, depression was treated using antidepressant medication (ADM) and was seen as the most standard treatment for severe depression (Dimidjian, Hollon, Dobson, Schmaling, et al., 2006). However, ADM was not useful for all forms of depression, with some patients refusing to take medication due to the harmful side effects. Therefore, psychotherapy techniques, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) became increasingly popular for the treatment of depression and were given a high level of credibility. The way in which CBT was used to treat depression was to identify and alter negative thinking styles and replaced them with positive beliefs and attitudes. Similarly, IPT
How does cognitive theory explain the aetiology of depression? Briefly describe the treatment for depression that is derived from cognitive theorists. Evaluate theories and justify your answer using research.
How does cognitive theory explain the aetiology of depression? Briefly describe the treatment for depression that is derived from cognitive theorists. Evaluate theories and justify your answer using research. In this essay, the symptoms of depression will be described and aetiology discussed from a cognitive viewpoint. In particular, Seligman's learned helplessness (1975); Abramson's (1978) revision of learned helplessness; Beck's 'cognitive distortion' model (1976), and Teasdale's differential activation hypothesis (1988) shall be evaluated. Cognitive theorists generally regard thought processes as causative factors in depression. The treatment of depression proposed by cognitive theorists will also be assessed in detail, and empirical evidence shall be considered. Finally, a conclusion of the efficacy of cognitive theory regarding depression shall be presented and suggestions offered regarding the direction in which research should go in the future. Many psychologists and psychiatrists alike have described the symptoms of depression; however, one description is particularly apt. "Mood is sometimes dominated by a profound inward dejection and gloomy hopelessness, sometimes more by indefinite anxiety and restlessness. The patient's heart is heavy, nothing can permanently rouse his interest, nothing gives him pleasure . . ." Kraeplin (1921, p. 76). Depression is termed an
Theories of Human Behaviour: Psychodynamics, Behaviourism and Cognitive Psychology
Theories of Human Behaviour: Psychodynamics, Behaviourism and Cognitive Psychology Introduction Contemporary psychology has been substantially influenced by different schools of thought, among the most important of which are Classical Freudian Psychotherapy or Psychodynamic Theory, Behaviourism, and Cognitive Psychology. In principle, each attributes the development of human psychological issues to entirely different mechanisms and processes. While none of them necessarily refutes the conceptual validity of the others, each school of psychological thought naturally focuses on very different issues as they relate to understanding healthy and abnormal human psychological development, education and learning theory, and child welfare. In that regard, Freudian Psychodynamics emphasises the distinction between the conscious and unconscious mind and the significance of several universal impulses and frustrations that originate in human infancy. Their relative degree of successful resolution correspond to characteristic patterns within the subconscious mind that strongly influence subsequent psychological development and behaviour in predictable ways that are particular to the nature of those specific types of unconscious impulses and frustrations. Meanwhile, Behaviourism takes an entirely different approach to understanding human psychology. Based largely on
Utilising cognitive theories, critically evaluate any 2 cognitive explanations for criminal behaviour".
Psychology Assignment 2 Over the years psychologists have become interested in the reasons why people commit crimes and how they process thoughts differently to others. Some psychologists have looked more into the cognitive, developmental, and personality factors that could contribute to criminal behaviour. When looking at humans and why they commit crimes, the cognitive reasoning is important to consider. This is because the average, 'normal', person processes thoughts before engaging in any actions, and this is something that some psychologists have discarded. Kohlberg and Dodge contributed separate research to support the cognitive theory, Bowlby looked into proving that maternal-deprivation can cause criminal behaviour, and others such as Freud and Eysenck looked at how the development of the personality can cause individual to engage in criminal behaviour. Kohlberg theory focuses on the area of morality in the thought processes of individuals. He believes that morality development occurs in stages throughout childhood. He proved his theory by assessing the moral reasoning of individuals through the use of moral dilemmas. These dilemmas generally involved the choice between two alternatives, both of which would be considered socially unacceptable. His most famous dilemma was the 'Heinz' dilemma, where a man who cannot afford the treatment to save his dying wife
The pros & cons of cognitive behavioral therapy being used as a tool to defeat depression & discrimination.
THE PROS & CONS OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY BEING USED AS A TOOL TO DEFEAT DEPRESSION & DISCRIMINATION Personality & Counseling Theory Professor Thomas McDonough 1-08-2004 By: Donovan Howard The purpose of this paper is to investigate the pros and cons of cons of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and determine if the approach this discipline presents may have productive effects for individuals that are afflicted by emotional duress / depression, due to the causal factor of institutional racism, which is the Achilles heel of American society, and has been the heart beat for in differential treatment between the races for several centuries. Definition Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an action-oriented form of psychosocial therapy that assumes that maladaptive, or faulty, thinking patterns cause maladaptive behavior and "negative" emotions. (Maladaptive behavior is behavior that is counter-productive or interferes with everyday living.) The treatment focuses on changing an individual's thoughts (cognitive patterns) in order to change his or her behavior and emotional state. Purpose Theoretically, cognitive-behavioral therapy can be employed in any situation in which "there is a pattern of unwanted behavior accompanied by distress and impairment. It is a recommended treatment option for a number of mental disorders, including affective (mood)
abnormal psychology/depression
ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY PSY 03 WORD COUNT ,730 MAXINE JACKSON APRIL 2008 What is abnormal or normal? Abnormal literally means 'away from the normal'. Although it does not state what normal is. What is meant by normal differs over time and across cultures; it depends, to a certain extent on circumstances. Is something normal because the majority are doing it? During the Second World War thousands of innocent people were murdered in the name of Adolf Hitler. The Nazi's became the majority; however this does not make their behaviour normal. One way to decide what behaviour is normal is to consider how usual it is. In that case then, behaviour that is less common is abnormal. Society has standards to which they expect people to conform, this reflects on how people behave. These standards are classed as normal. Anyone who violates society standards is then abnormal. All societies are different and they expect different behaviour, because of this it is impossible to give a universal meaning of the word abnormal. It is difficult to class a person as abnormal or indeed normal, because of the differences in people to begin with. "A statistical norm is to do with a way of being, a quality or representation that is expressed or understood by many individuals. In other words, it is called average. High intelligence is as abnormal as low intelligence." J Cullberg (2006:09) Not
To what extent can cognitive theories of depression explain the onset as well as maintenance of the disorder?
To what extent can cognitive theories of depression explain the onset as well as maintenance of the disorder? Seligman's original learned helplessness theory (1975) was based on the experimental examination of two groups of dogs. The experimental group were given unavoidable electric shocks repeatedly, while the control group were given the same shocks but with the option of escaping them. The experimental group showed what Seligman described as 'learned helplessness' (characterized by lethargy, sluggishness, loss of appetite) Seligman theorized that this phenomenon was a result of a perceived lack of control, and he generalized it into a theory of human clinical depression. In other words, he theorised that if you expose a person to a stressor and they perceive no control over it, they will respond with learned helplessness. However, Seligman's theory has received major criticisms, namely: you cant generalise from a sample of one species of animal to humans: Blankley, 1978 Seligman's theory doesn't explain individual differences: why do some people deal with stressors well and others poorly? In an attempt to deal with the individual differences criticism, Abramson introduced attributional styles into the theory of learned helplessness 4 basic premises: Expected aversiveness (expecting that highly aversive outcomes are probable) Expected uncontrollability
Cognitive and Psychoanalytical Psychology
Introduction to Psychology The cognitive and Psychoanalytic perspectives There are a number of approaches in psychology and this essay will compare and contrast two of the major perspectives. These will be the cognitive and psychoanalytic perspectives; it will also give an example of how psychology can be applied in a health care setting. The cognitive perspective is easy to understand if one was to compare the human mind with a computer, the mind could be seen as an information processor and its job is to select and code information as well as storing and retrieving it when needed. Jean Piaget studied the human mind and how it is capable of storing information in the form of "schemes" these are organised patterns of thought and actions used to represent the world. He also believed the mind went through four stages during childhood. The first stage is the sensorimotor stage, and Piaget designated the first two years of infants life as the sensorimotor stage. (www.piaget.org) The second stage is called pre-operational this stage happens between the ages of 2 - 7 years during this period there is a continued development and use of internal images, symbols and language. This is important for the child to develop the sense of self awareness. (Gross, 5th edition) The next stage is concrete operational stage. This stage typically occurs between the ages of 7 and 12.
In this essay the biological, cognitive and the psychodynamic approach will be explored and compared on how they explain human behaviour.
Transfer-Encoding: chunked Compare and contrast three psychological approaches to explaining human behaviour An approach is a perception that consists of specific principles about human behaviour. Each approach can have different theories within itself but, they will all emphasise on particular assumptions (Glassman & Hadad, 2013). In this essay the biological, cognitive and the psychodynamic approach will be explored and compared on how they explain human behaviour. Charles Darwin may have been a biologist but his book Origin of species had massive repercussions on our knowledge on genetic inheritance (Darwin, 2013). His finding led to psychologists divulging further, which is now identified as the biological approach. The biological approach seeks to explain behaviour through four different means – the brain, genes, the nervous system (neurotransmitters) and the endocrine system (hormones). It prepossesses that abnormal behaviour can be explained through the functioning of the biological system (Dwyer & Charles, 2003). This approach places key emphasis on inherited genes that make us more susceptible to certain conditions i.e. schizophrenia (Sammons, n.d.). Whether it be the comparative method (Harvery & Pagel, 1991) where we study animals in order to find out more about ourselves or, physiology where we look at our hormones or studies into our inheritance via
