• COGNITIVE THEORY OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
• Cognitive theory claims that the central pathway to psychological functioning or adaptation consists of the meaning-making
structures of cognition, termed schemas. – All psychological systems—cognitive, behavioral, affective, and motivational—are
composed of structures known as schemas.
• The cognitive theory of psychopathology is based on an information processing model which posits that during psychological
distress a person’s thinking becomes more rigid and distorted, judgements become over generalized and absolute, and the person’s
basic beliefs about the self, others and the world become fixed.
COGNITIVE TRIAD: SELF, CONTEXT AND FUTURE
• Psychopathology results from maladaptive meanings. – Self – Environmental Context (experience) – Future (goals)
• Depression - All three components are interpreted negatively in depression.
• Anxiety – the self is seen as inadequate (because of deficient resources), the context is thought to be dangerous, and the future appears
uncertain.
• Paranoid disorders – the self is interpreted as mistreated or abused by others, and the world is seen as unfair and opposing one's
interests.
COMMON INFORMATION- PROCESSING DISTORTION
• Arbitrary Inference: This distortion is akin to jumping to conclusions wherein the person concludes without any supporting or relevan
evidence that the worst possible outcome will happen.
• Selective Abstraction: In this distortion, most relevant information about a situation is ignored while focusing on a minor detail to form a
negative conclusion.
• Personalization: This distortion is sometimes referred to as self-referencing. Victims of this distortion take everything personally.
• Dichotomous or Polarized Thinking: This distorted thinking style is common among clients with borderline or narcissistic personality
situations are usually evaluated as black or white, good or bad.
• Labeling and Mislabeling: All humans use labels to describe themselves and others. Unfortunately, sometimes people hang onto
inaccurate or maladaptive labels, despite their lack of utility; i.e.flawless or defective,saint or sinner.
• Overgeneralization: This distortion occurs when an individual generalizes and comes to a strong conclusion on the basis of a
single or small number of incidents. Obviously, when overgeneralization occurs, the conclusion may be unwarranted.
• Magnification and Minimization: This distortion is also referred to as overestimation and underestimation. It occurs when a client
makes a mountain out of a molehill (and vice versa).
HIERARCHICAL ORGANISATION OF THINKING
• Automatic Thoughts – These are thoughts that come rapidly, automatically and involuntarily to mind.
• Underlying assumptions – These are the often unarticulated beliefs that guide our everyday behaviour, set our standards and values, and
establish our rules for living.. Rules are often expressed in ‘should’ and ‘must’ statements (‘I must never show any weaknesses’; ‘I
should always be there for my friends when they need me’) Underlying assumptions and rules apply across a range of situations.
Assumptions and rules are also called intermediate beliefs as they link automatic thoughts with core beliefs.
As long as the terms of these rules, standards and positive assumptions are met, individuals remain relatively stable and productive and
thereby avoid activating the ‘bottom line’ – core belief.
CORE BELIEFS
• These are the fundamental beliefs about ourselves (e.g. ‘I’m weak’), others (e.g. ‘People will walk all over me’) and the world (e.g. ‘It’s
harsh and uncaring’) that help us to make sense of our life experiences.
• Core beliefs are usually formed through early learning experiences and become instrumental in shaping our outlook.
• The most central or core beliefs are understandings that are so fundamental and deep that people often do not articulate the core belief,
even to themselves.
• These ideas are regarded by the person as absolute truths, just the way things "are.” – Core beliefs can also be recently acquired, such as
by experiencing a traumatic incident or accident.
MAINTAINING BEHAVIOURS
• Person's behaviour is consistent with thought processes. Example: A depressive person who believes that he will always fail does not try
anything, thus confirms the negative belief. In panic, a belief of dying from heart attack will result in taking the strain of heart attack and
doing nothing.
• The meanings made by a person have implications that are translated into specific patterns of emotion, attention, memory and behaviour.
This proposes that each emotional disorder has its own typical cognitive content or theme. – For example, devaluation or loss in
depression; danger or threat in anxiety; unjustified intrusion in paranoia; transgression of one’s rules in anger; moral lapse in guilt.
COGNITIVE VULNERABILITY TO PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTURBANCE
Individuals are predisposed to specific faulty cognitive constructions. Specific cognitive vulnerability predisposes persons to specific
syndromes; cognitive specificity and cognitive vulnerability are interrelated. One’s cognitive vulnerability is said to be a stable
characteristic that remains latent until activated by a precipitating event. Individuals are predisposed to specific faulty cognitive
constructions.
CONTINUUM OF EMOTIONAL REACTIONS
Cognitive therapy suggests there is a line of continuity between normal emotional and behavioural reactions to life events and excessive
Cognitive theory of Psychotherapy emphasizes the importance of information processing and cognitive distortions of a person that
causes problems like anxiety, depression and low self esteem. Cognitive distortion affects the behaviour as well as physiological and
emotional reactions.
SUMMARY
Cognitive theory of psychotherapy highlights the importance of information processing and the cognitive distortions of a person that
causes problems like anxiety, depression and low self esteem . Cognitive distortion affects behaviour physiological reactions and
emotions .
