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Etiology of major depressive disorder. Melody and Joan. Cognitive factors. Ellis (1962). Cognitive style theory- psychological disturbances often come form irrational and illogical thinking.
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Etiology of major depressive disorder Melody and Joan
Ellis (1962) • Cognitive style theory- psychological disturbances often come form irrational and illogical thinking. • Due to dubious evidences or faulty inferences of an event people would draw false conclusions and causing them to feel anger, anxiety or depression. • E.g. irrational beliefs- ‘my work must be perfect’ + certain observations- ‘my last essay didn’t receive the top grade’ = self defeating conclusions ‘since I did not receive the highest grade, I am stupid.’
Beck (1976) • Theory of depression- based on cognitive distortions and biases in information processing. • Based on schema processing where stored schemas about the self interfere with information processing. • Depressive patients exhibit negative cognitive triad characterized by: • Overgeneralization based on negative events • Non-logical inference about the self • Dichotomous thinking- black and white thinking, and selective recall of negative consequences. E.g. I am either a total failure, or a complete success.
According to Beck, negative cognitive schemas are activated by stressful events. • A depressed person may tend to overreact, this has to do with their attributional style- how the person appraise the situation. • If a person has negative expectations about the future, and a tendency to explain these in terms of internal, stable and global factors, they are to be trapped in a vicious cycle.
Alloy et al. (1999) • A longitudinal prospective study • Sample of young Americans in their twenties participated for 6 years • ‘Positive thinking group’ and ‘Negative think group’ • Positive 1% • Negative 17% • There may be a correlation between cognitive styles and depression development
Other researchers • Blackburn (1988) Depressed people often experienced a number of disturbances in thought processes. • Frude (1998) Depressive thinking styles from prospective studies showed supported the cognitive explanations of depression