AS Abnormal Psychology Cognitive model

"We are what we think. All that we are arises

with our thought. With our thoughts, we make

our world."

The Buddha

Prep

• You have two minutes to write down any two things you can remember about the cognitive approach to mental health.

Key Assumptions of The Cognitive Approach

• Individuals who suffer from mental disorders have distorted and irrational thinking – which may cause maladaptive behaviour.

• It is the way you think about the problem rather than the problem itself which causes the mental disorder.

• Individuals can overcome mental disorders by learning to use more appropriate cognitions. If people think in more positive ways, they can be helped to feel better

Key Assumptions of The Cognitive Perspective

• Individuals who suffer from mental disorders have distorted and irrational thinking styles– which may cause maladaptive behaviour.

• It is usually the way you think about the problem rather than the problem itself which causes the psychological problems.

• Individuals can overcome mental disorders by learning to use more appropriate cognitions (thought processes).

Example:

Emma overhears a remark made in class:

‘She really gets on my nerves’.

It could have referred to anyone but Emma automatically thinks that it is about her and assumes she is unworthy and people don’t want to be friends with her. She withdraws from the friendship group and as a result becomes more and more isolated and depressed.

Example:

It is your birthday and you are given a surprise invitation to meet your friends at lunchtime to celebrate. You are disappointed to find your best friend does not join you and sends no reason or apology.

Thoughts

Emotions

Behaviour

Irrational/negative Rational/positive

He/she is annoyed with But won’t say why you

Maybe he/she was underpressure with work etc, something urgent came upand his/her phone has died

Hurt and upset. Perhaps you aren’t such good friends after all

Disappointed, but sure you’llget together soon to celebrate

Treat him/her with cool detachment next time youmeet

Message or ring him/her to arrange to meet

Complete the activity - You see your boyfriend in Starbucks with a girl

Example:

You see your boyfriend in Starbucks with a girl

Thoughts

Emotions

Behaviour

Irrational/negative Rational/positive

Aaron Beck• Beck believed that people who are

depressed make fundamental errors in thinking.

• People who have become depressed have negative self-schemas

• They have a tendency to view themselves, the world and the future in pessimistic ways – the triad of impairments

Beck’s Model of Depression (1979) ‘The Cognitive Triad’

Negative Triad (3 negative core assumptions/schemata)– Negative view of the self– Negative view of the world– Negative view of the future

Core assumptions are fairly fixed

beliefs, developed in childhood

Albert Ellis

• Ellis argued that there are common irrational beliefs that underlie much depression, and sufferers have based their lives on these beliefs

• For example: “I must be successful, competent and achieving in everything I do if I am to consider myself worthwhile”

Once activated, these core beliefs produce a range of automatic thoughts

• These thoughtds are often distorted or full of errors.• There is a link between these negative core

assumptions (schemas) and the development and maintenance of psychological problems.

• Young – believed the core beliefs can come from parenting style and maladaptive schemas develop if the emotional needs of the child are not met.

Examples of dysfunctional thinking• Awfulising: using words like 'awful’, 'terrible’, 'horrible’,

'catastrophic’ to describe something - e.g. 'It would be terrible if …’, 'It’s the worst thing that could happen’, 'That would be the end of the world’.

• Cant-stand-it-itis: viewing an event or experience as unbearable - e.g. 'I can’t stand it’, 'It’s absolutely unbearable’, ‘I’ll die if I get rejected’.

• Demanding: using 'should’ or 'must’ - e.g. 'I should not have done that, 'I must not fail’, 'I need to be loved’, 'I have to have a drink’.

• People-rating: labelling or rating your self (or someone else) - e.g. 'I’m stupid /hopeless /useless /worthless.’

These negative thoughts are unconscious and rapid responses to certain situations. They can be identified as Cognitive biases. These biases prevent the person from focusing on the positive side of life and so reinforce their negative views.

Cognitive Bias ExplanationMinimisation The bias towards minimising

success in life. Eg Attributing good exam results to luck.

Maximisation Maximising the importance of trivial failures. Thinking you’re stupid if you fail to complete a Sudoku.

Selective Abstraction Focusing on only the negative side of life and ignoring the wider picture.

All or nothing thinking A tendency to see life in terms of black and white and ignoring the middle ground; you are a success or a failure rather than good at some things but not so good at others.

Case study two:

• Look at the other case study in your pack. You have five minutes to work on the questions.

Ellis: Core beliefs…

I must be successful

This is activated by important events – such as taking exams.

This triggers automatic thoughts such as :•I can only get a good mark if I study all day•Everyone else can do it•I must be stupid….•I’ll never get to university•I’ll never get a good job

This leads to emotional and behavioural changes

Emotions:•Anxiety/sadness

Behavioural changes:•Staying in constantly working, avoiding other people.•Loss of appetite/difficulty sleeping•Too nervous to revise/sit exams

Task:

• Using the example in your pack, fill in the flow chart showing how core beliefs influence our thoughts, actions and feelings for the example of

• I must be successful – activated by examinations.

How do you think?

• Have a look at the ‘quiz’ on thinking styles in the pack.

Cognitive therapy

• So how can we treat people with psychological problems because of faulty thinking?

• Answer:

• Cognitive therapy often known as CBT.

• Working in pairs think of three questions about CBT.

Questions about CBT

Cognitive therapy – an example

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7HJmVx3qN4

Design a leaflet• Design a short leaflet that would be suitable

to distribute to patients to explain what CBT will involve and how it will work.

• Try to make sure your leaflet answers all our questions.

• Remember to include information on the advantages of CBT and also some of the possible weaknesses.