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Psychology Factsheets
www.curriculum-press.co.uk Number 192
Evaluating cognitive models of psychopathology
This Factsheet provides guidance about how to Exam Hint:- There is always a breadth/depth pay off in how you
evaluate models of psychopathology based on approach evaluation.
cognitive assumptions. It is focused on examiner
reports about exam questions on this topic and B. Evaluating Ellis’ model of cognition
provides suggestions about how to apply your
knowledge in exams. The worksheet gives you the
opportunity to apply what you have learned to exam
style questions. Words in bold are explained in the glossary.

The examiner will expect you to be able to:

• Comprehend a range of cognitive explanations of psychopathology.
• Evaluate cognitive explanations of psychopathology.
• Compare cognitive models with other models of psychopathology.

A. Introduction
The cognitive approach to psychopathology is based on a set of
assumptions about psychological processes. It uses these assumtions to
explain human and non-human behaviour including psychological
disorders (psychopathology). Within the cognitive approach there are actions and consequences
a number of cognitive models that share similar assumptions but also
Ellis (1962) proposed the ABC model of cognition. He suggested that –
differ in their explanations of psychopathology. Cognitive models can
A – an antecedent (or activating event) leads to – B – a belief, resulting
be applied to explanations about the causes of psychological disorders
in – C – a consequence. This model can explain psychopathology
and also used as a basis for cognitive treatments. Cognitive
because if a belief is not tested it will always lead to the same negative
explanations of psychopathology can be found in Factsheet 164.
consequence, thus maintaining the disorder.
This Factsheet concentrates on evaluating cognitive models.

Exam Hint:- You will be expected to demonstrate a thorough

comprehension of a range of cognitive models and apply
these to psychopathology.

B. Generic evaluation
There are a number of evaluative points that can be applied to the
cognitive approach to psychopathology as a whole. However, in order
to gain top band marks, these should be elaborated in relation to specific
models as demonstrated throughout this Factsheet. Generic evaluative
points of Psychopathology include the following:
• Psychopathology is seen as an effect of negative thinking, which
ignores the impact of social and economical factors.
• Assumes free will including processes such as decision-making and
choice. This makes the approach more acceptable than deterministic
assumptions.
• Assumes that the individual is responsible for his or her own
behaviour, which can be empowering. On the flip side this can be
perceived as blaming the individual for their abnormality.
• Assumes individuals are responsible for their own recovery, which
may be experienced as empowering or punitive.
• Does not explain cause and effect. While faulty thinking is clearly
a feature of abnormality, it may not be the cause.
• Emphasis on cognitive processes is reductionist as it fails to
consider physiological or environmental factors.
• Successful methods of treatment have been developed which are
based on cognitive assumptions and therefore provide evidence in
support of the approach.
• Cognitive methods of treatment have a high success rate for
depression in particular, providing evidence in support of a
cognitive cause for depression.
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ABC model of cognition
Exam Hint:- Practice using the ABC model to explain
psychological disorders such as types of anxiety and/or depression.
Strengths
• The model has face validity.
• The model takes into consideration social experience as well as
cognitive processes.
• The model can explain anxiety disorders and phobias.
• The model has led to the development of cognitive behavioural
treatments.
Limitations
• The ABC model does not explain the onset of abnormality, only
how it is maintained.
• The model does not provide evidence of a causal relationship
between negative beliefs and psychopathology.
• It is difficult to apply the model to certain psychological disorders
such as schizophrenia.
• The model ignores biological causes and/or genetic predisposition.

192 - Evaluating cognitive models of psychopathology
Exam Hint:- You may be asked to evaluate one or more cognitive
models of psychopathology. The examiner does not expect you
to write a lengthy description of the model and will not
award marks for doing so.
C. Evaluating Beck’s model of cognition
Beck (1976) proposed the cognitive triad as a model to explain
psychopathology. The three points on the cognitive triad relate to the
individual, the world and the future. It is suggested that individuals
develop negative beliefs at each point in the triad, which reinforce each
other and maintain the psychological disorder.
Exam Hint:- Practice using the cognitive triad model to explain
psychological disorders such as types of anxiety and/or depression.
Strengths:
• The model provides a valid explanation for depression.
• Evidence supports the implicit assumption of this model that
depressed people process information differently from non-
depressed people (Hammen and Krantz, 1976)
• The model supports the concept of learned helplessness and self-
fulfilling prophecy and explains the cyclical nature of depression.
• The success of CBT approaches which aim to alter negative thinking
support a cognitive cause for some psychological disorders.
Limitations:
• The cognitive triad does not explain how faulty thinking develops,
only that it does.
• Individuals might develop faulty cognitions because they have a
psychological disorder, rather than the thought processes being the
cause of the disorder.
• The model is reductionist in its emphasis on cognition; it ignores
biological and social influences.
Exam Hint:- Different cognitive models lend themselves more
readily to explanations of different psychological disorders. For
example, the ABC model can be easily applied to anxiety disorders
whereas the cognitive triad relates more readily to depression.
D. Evaluating attribution
self-fulfilling prophecy of depression
Attributional style refers to the way that individuals explain the causes
of negative events and how they make predictions about the future
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Psychology Factsheet
based on these events. People with a negative attributional style tend
to describe events as internal, stable and global, such as: It’s my fault
he broke up with me (internal). I am a terrible girlfriend (stable) and
no-one will ever want to be with me again (global). Such individuals
make arbitrary inferences, which are negative assumptions about what
will happen in the future that are not grounded in evidence
Seligman (1974) suggested that when something goes wrong, the
sense of being out of control can lead to a feeling of helplessness in
individuals with a predisposition towards depression. This can result in
a self-fulfilling prophecy as things continue to go wrong, maintaining
a sense of ‘learned helplessness’.
Strengths:
• The model provides a valid explanation for psychological disorders
such as anxiety and depression.
• Evidence supports the assumption that depressed people process
information differently from non-depressed people (Hammen and
Krantz, 1976).
• Evidence suggests that a negative attributional style is more
common in females, which could explain the higher prevalence of
depression and anxiety in females than males.
• The model helps to explain comorbidity between anxiety and
depression.
Limitations:
• The model does not explain how attributional styles develop
• The model does not explain why some people make negative
arbitrary inferences while others do not.
• The model does not account for individuals who do not experience
a sense of helplessness when something goes wrong.
• The model does not provide evidence of a causal relationship
between negative beliefs and psychopathology.
Exam Hint:- When discussing attributional style as an explanation
of psychopathology, try to focus on the distinct characteristics of
this model as compared with other cognitive models.
E. Compare and contrast
alternative approaches
Cognitive models can be evaluated by comparing and contrasting
them with other approaches. This will help you to consider the relative
strengths and limitations.
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192 - Evaluating cognitive models of psychopathology Psychology Factsheet

Cognitive Behavioural Biological

Psychodynamic explanation
explanation explanation explanation
Cause is faulty Cause is life events Cause can be traced to childhood
Genetic and/or chemical cause
cognition and social factors experiences

Responsibility lies Individual is not responsible for biological Individual is not responsible for
Social responsibility
with the individual processes childhood experiences

Treatment involves Treatment involves

altering faulty social support and skill Medical treatment is recommended Treatment is psychoanalysis
perceptions based training
Success of CBT
Success of behaviour Clinical evidence may be subjective
based treatment Success of drug based therapies supports a
modification supports while empirical evidence is difficult to
supports a cognitive physiological cause
a behavioural cause obtain
cause

Examiner Comment: Whichever method of evaluation you choose to employ, you should refer to research evidence to support your answer.

Exam Hint:- if you decide to compare and contrast with other approaches, don’t waste time describing the assumptions of
alternative approaches. Only write what is relevant to the question.

Glossary:
ABC model: Ellis’ model of A – antecedent, B – belief and C –consequence

Arbitrary inferences: Negative assumptions about what will happen in the future which are not based on evidence

Attributional style: Negative beliefs are internal, stable and global

Cognitive triad: Beck’s model of individual, world and future

Comorbidity: The co-existence of more than one psychological disorder; e.g. dual diagnosis

Face validity: An explanation that makes good sense by looking at it

Learned helplessness: Seligman’s theory of depression

Predisposition: Susceptibility towards a psychological disorder, perhaps due to a biological cause or family history

Self-fulfilling prophecy: It happens because the individual expected it to

Acknowledgements: This Psychology Factsheet was researched and written by Jeanine Connor.
Curriculum Press, Bank House, 105 King Street, Wellington, Shropshire, TF1 1NU.
Psychology Factsheets may be copied free of charge by teaching staff or students, provided that their school is a registered subscriber. No part of these Factsheets may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any other form or by any other means, without the prior permission of the publisher. ISSN 1351-5136

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192 - Evaluating cognitive models of psychopathology Psychology Factsheet

Worksheet: Evaluating cognitive models of psychopathology

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1. Critically evaluate the ABC model of psychopathology.
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2. Critically consider the cognitive triad as an explanation of anxiety.

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3. Evaluate any two cognitive explanations of depression.

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4. Evaluate research evidence for one cognitive model of psychopathology.
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5. Compare the cognitive assumptions of psychopathology to one other psychological approach.
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6. A person who is diagnosed with a psychological disorder is responsible for his or her own recovery. Discuss this statement with reference
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