The Cognitive Model of The Cognitive Model of AbnormalityAbnormality

EVALUATION (Ao2)EVALUATION (Ao2)

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSESSTRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES

The Cognitive ModelThe Cognitive Model

Cognitive explanations:Cognitive explanations:– Plenty of evidence to show that thinking Plenty of evidence to show that thinking

processes are biased/distorted .e.g. in Eating processes are biased/distorted .e.g. in Eating Disorder sufferersDisorder sufferers

– Some evidence (but not all) shows that Some evidence (but not all) shows that altering thought processes is an effective altering thought processes is an effective treatmenttreatment

– Less evidence to show that cognitive biases Less evidence to show that cognitive biases are the cause of abnormality e.g. Eating are the cause of abnormality e.g. Eating DisordersDisorders

The Cognitive ModelThe Cognitive Model

Issues for evaluation:Issues for evaluation:– EvidenceEvidence– Direction of causality Direction of causality – Blaming the victimBlaming the victim

The Cognitive ModelThe Cognitive Model

EvidenceEvidence– Plenty of research shows that people with Plenty of research shows that people with

psychological disorders have faulty or psychological disorders have faulty or irrational thinking processesirrational thinking processes

However…However…

The Cognitive ModelThe Cognitive Model

Not much evidence for the view that faulty Not much evidence for the view that faulty thinking precedes other psychological thinking precedes other psychological symptoms (cause or effect?)symptoms (cause or effect?)

People who are clinically normal also think People who are clinically normal also think irrationally – so what’s the difference?irrationally – so what’s the difference?

All the cognitive model does is state the All the cognitive model does is state the obvious e.g. depressed people think obvious e.g. depressed people think gloomy thoughts. No! Really?gloomy thoughts. No! Really?

The Cognitive ModelThe Cognitive Model

Ethical issues:Ethical issues:– By locating psychological problems in faulty By locating psychological problems in faulty

thinking processes, the cognitive model thinking processes, the cognitive model sometimes blames the victimsometimes blames the victim

– E.g. a person might be depressed because E.g. a person might be depressed because their situation is genuinely dreadful – but the their situation is genuinely dreadful – but the cognitive model implies that the problem is cognitive model implies that the problem is their perceptionstheir perceptions

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EVALUATION OF THE COGNITIVE APPROACH

Strength 1: A major strength of the Cognitive Model is that it concentrates in currentthought processes. It does not depend on the past history of the client, for example,recovering repressed memories from the Unconscious. This is an advantage becausedetails about a person’s past are often unclear, irrelevant, misleading andmisremembered.

Strength 2: A second strength is that Cognitive Therapies, especially when used togetherwith Behavioural Therapy, have a good success rate in helping clients. It is a popular andmuch-used approach. It also empowers the individual to take responsibility for his ownthinking processes by monitoring, evaluating and altering self-defeating thoughtprocesses.

Weakness 1: Like all other approaches, psychological and medical, the Cognitive Modelrarely supplies the complete solution to abnormal behaviour by itself. There may bemedical and environmental influences affecting a person’s behaviour. Focussing only ona person’s cognition may be too narrow an approach.

Weakness 2: The Cognitive Model sometimes places the blame for any disorder unfairlyon the individual – “It’s your disordered thinking, so you are at fault”. For example, aperson suffering from depression may be living in awful circumstances where depressionis a perfectly valid and rationale response to the situation. It will hardly be surprising ifhe perceives the world and his future as a negative and grim.

First criticism

It fails to examine the origins of It fails to examine the origins of irrational thinking.irrational thinking.

BECAUSE… BECAUSE… It is difficult to identify whether abnormality is the cause by irrational thinking or the effect of irrational thoughts.

Beck (1991) stated that although cognitive processes are involved in many psychological disorders, they may be the consequence rather then the cause of the problem.

A Second Criticism is that… It suggests that that the person is

solely responsible.

BECAUSEBECAUSE…It lays the blame for psychological problems firmly within the individual, rather than with the social environment.

Ellis has little sympathy with people who are suffering with depression and considers it ‘indulgence’ of self defeating thoughts.

On the other hand, a strength of this approach

is… There is research to support the There is research to support the

cognitive explanation of abnormality.cognitive explanation of abnormality.

BECAUSE…BECAUSE…findings have demonstrated that many people suffering from mental disorders do exhibit thought patterns associated with maladaptive functioning.

For example… Gustafon (1992) found that

maladaptive behaviours were displayed by many people with psychological disorders,

eg: anxiety, depression and sexual disorders.

PLENARYPAPER PLANES

INSTRUCTIONS

1)CLASS TO SPLIT INTO 2 GROUPS2)TIMER IS SET AT 10 MINUTES3)EACH PERSON TO MAKE A PAPER PLANE FROM THEIR NOTEBOOK PAPER OR RECYCLED PAPER4)ON YOUR PLANE, YOU MUST WRITE ONE PIECE OF INFORMATION LEARNED TODAY 5)WHEN INSTRUCTED, GLIDE YOUR PLANE TO SOMEONE ON THE OPPOSITE GROUP6)READ THE INFORMATION ON THE PLANE YOU HAVE RECEIVED AND WRITE SOMETHING DIFFERENT7)REPEAT UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO STOP!