9990 · 1.2.2
Explanations of mood (affective) disorders: depressive disorder (unipolar) flashcards
Revision flashcards for Cambridge 9990 Explanations of mood (affective) disorders: depressive disorder (unipolar) (syllabus 1.2.2). Flip, recall, then mark a real past-paper question.
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Beck's cognitive triad?
Negative views of **self** (inadequate), **world** (hostile), **future** (hopeless) — maintained by cognitive biases and negative schemas.
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Beck's cognitive biases?
Arbitrary inference, catastrophising, selective abstraction — distort processing of events and maintain depression.
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Learned helplessness (Seligman)?
After uncontrollable negative events, an organism learns that responses are futile — linked to passivity and depression in humans.
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Biochemical explanation?
Low serotonin and noradrenaline linked to depression — supported by effectiveness of SSRIs/SNRIs but **reverse causality** possible.
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Genetic evidence?
Twin studies show higher concordance in MZ than DZ twins — heritability ~40% but no single 'depression gene'.
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Reductionism in Beck?
Cognitive account may ignore biological vulnerability and social causes — **incomplete** if presented as sole explanation.
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What is the 'monoamine hypothesis' of depression?
The theory that depression is caused by a functional deficit of monoamine neurotransmitters, specifically low levels of serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine, in the brain.
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Name the three components of Beck's (1976) negative cognitive triad.
1. Negative view of the self (I am worthless). 2. Negative view of the world (Everything is against me). 3. Negative view of the future (Nothing will ever get better).
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According to Ellis's (1962) ABC model, what is the primary cause of emotional distress like depression?
The individual's irrational Beliefs (B) about an Activating event (A), not the event itself. The belief is the mediating factor.
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What did Freud mean by 'introjection' in his explanation of depression?
An unconscious defence mechanism where an individual internalises a lost love object (person) and directs the feelings (especially anger) they had for that object towards themselves.
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What is a 'negative self-schema' in Beck's cognitive theory?
A core, negative belief system about oneself (e.g., 'I am unlovable') developed from early experiences, which makes an individual vulnerable to depression when activated by stressful life events.