cognitive approach for explaining depression

Beck's negative triad

what is Beck’s negative triad?

• involves role of internal mental process in determining behaviour e.g. thoughts, information processing and perception

• irrational thoughts, faulty information processing and distorted perceptions forms cognitive approach to explaining depression

• depression is a result of faulty or irrational though process and a negative schema.

faulty information processing

• irrationally personalising the world

• seeking out the negative in any situation

• catastrophising

• overgeneralising

negative self-schema

results in an individual only focusing on the negative aspects of themselves

(depressed person may develop an ineptness schema, believing they will fail at everything)

strengths

• theory has good application for treating depression (CBT is used to identify, challenge and change irrational thoughts so depression symptons recede), therefore has external validity

• supporting research, Grazidi and Jerry found pregnant women ith vulnerability to depression were more likely to suffer post-natal depression than those without that vulnerability

weaknesses

• useful for highlighting what characterises irrational thinking, but not why thoughts occur, or where they come from

• does not consider influence of biological factors in depression (there is research which shows genetics and neurotransmitters play a key role in development of depression