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Explaining Depression - Becks Negative Triad - Coggle Diagram
Explaining Depression - Becks Negative Triad
The cognitive approach generally explains depression in terms of faulty and irrational thought processes and perceptions
The behaviourist approach would focus on maladaptive behaviours , the cognitive approach focuses on the maladaptive cognitions that underpin maladaptive behaviours
Beck (1987) believes people become depressed because the world is seen negatively through negative schemas , which dominate thinking and are triggered whenever individuals are in situations that are similar to those in which negative schemas were learned
Beck perceived negative schemas as developing in childhood and adolescence , when authority figures , such as parents , place unreal demands on individuals and are highly critical of them
These negative schemas then continue into adulthood , providing a negative framework to view life in a pessimistic fashion
These negative schemas fuel and are fuelled by cognitive biases , causing individuals to misperceive reality
Negative schemas
Ineptness schema - make depressives expect to fail
Self blame schema - makes depressives feel responsible for all misfortunes
Negative self evaluation schema - constantly remind depressives of their worthlessness
Cognitive biases
Arbitrary inference - conclusions drawn in the absence of sufficient evidence . For example a man concluding he's worthless because it rains when he decided to throw a garden party
Selective abstraction - conclusions drawn from just one part of a situation . For example a worker feeling worthless when a product doesn't work , even though several people made it
Overgeneralisation - sweeping conclusions drawn on the basis of a single event . For example a student regarding poor performance on one test as proof of his worthlessness
Magnification and minimisation - exaggerations in evaluation of performance . For example , a man believing he's ruined his car due to a small scratch (maximisation) or a woman believing herself worthless despite many praises (minimisation)
The negative triad
Sees negative thoughts as being about :
The self - where individuals see themselves as being helpless , worthless and inadequate eg 'nobody loves me'
The world - where obstacles are perceived within ones environment that cannot be dealt with eg 'everything is beyond my control'
The future - where personal worthlessness is seen as blocking any improvements eg 'I will always be useless'
