Evaluation of the Cognitive Approach to explaining Depression
Strengths

One strength is that the cognitive approach suggests that the client is responsible
for their own thinking and therefore their depression. Whilst this could be seen
as unethical, as it places more blame onto the individual, it also can be seen as
an advantage as it means the individual has the power to change their thinking
and therefore get rid of their illness.

The idea that people with depression have irrational thinking is supported by
research evidence. For example, Hammen and Krantz (1976) found that
depressed participants made more errors in logic when interpreting written
material than non-depressed participants. This suggests that the concepts of
irrational thinking and cognitive biases in both Ellis and Beck’s models are correct
and valid.
Challenge: How can you use cognitive treatments as a strength of the cognitive
explanation of depression? (Hint - think back to the evaluation point made regarding
the behavioural explanation of phobias).
Weaknesses

It is problematic for the cognitive approach to suggest that the client is
responsible for their own thinking and therefore the disorder. This is because it
may lead to the therapist focussing on internal causes and therefore overlooking
external causes, such as factors in the environment which could also be changed.

Cognitive explanations of depression (and related studies) are often criticised for
being correlational and therefore do not actually show a cause and effect
relationship between negative thinking and depression. It is just as likely that
the negative thinking is an effect of the depression rather than the cause. This
means that these explanations are limited as they do not explain HOW the
irrational thinking arises.
Challenge: However, Beck’s theory is superior to Ellis’ theory in that it does attempt to
do explain how the irrational thinking arises. What does Beck suggest is the original
cause of the negative thinking?