The cognitive model is a
psychological model perceiving
mental disorders as due to negative
thoughts and illogical beliefs.
The cognitive model was created
by Aaron Ellis and Albert Beck as a
challenge to the behavioural model.
The cognitive model perceives mental disorders as
being due to distorted and irrational thought
processes, which are referred to as cognitive errors.
The cognitive triad is the three types of illogical
thought processes which result in irrational, negative
feelings about oneself and lead to depression.
The cognitive triad:
1. Negative feelings about
themselves ('nobody loves me').
2. Negative feelings
about the future ('I will
always be useless').
3. Negative
feelings about
the world.
Armfield asked participants to visualise a
spider. The participants were then
assigned to different conditions of how
dangerous/predictable the spider was and
how much control they had of the situation.
Those who believed the spider
was dangerous and
unpredictable, and believed
they could not get away scored
highest on fear of spiders.
This suggests
that it is our
beliefs that
determine how
cognitively
vulnerable we
are to anxiety,
thus supporting
the cognitive
model.
Evaluation.
Research
supports that many
people suffering
from anxiety and
depression do not
have irrational
thought
processes.
It is
victim-blaming,
it says that a
person's
mental
disorder is
their own fault
for having the
wrong
thoughts.
It
empowers
individuals
by
perceiving
them as
having the
ability to
change
their own
cognitions.
Therapies.
Rational emotive
behaviour therapy.
Also known as the
ABC technique.
A - Activating event.
Patients record
events leading
to disordered
thinking e.g.
exam failure.
B - Beliefs.
Patients
record
negative
thoughts
associated
with the event
e.g. "I'm stupid
and useless".
C - Consequence.
Patients
record negative
thoughts or
behaviours that
follow e.g.
feeling upset or
thinking about
leaving college.