The British journal of clinical psychology / the British Psychological Society
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Comparative Study
Depressive thinking and dysfunctional schematic mental models.
To examine the replicability and generalizability of findings suggesting that mood-dependent negative thinking in depression reflects changes in the schematic mental models through which the world is interpreted, rather than a generalized increase in accessibility of negative constructs. ⋯ For depressed participants in psychiatric treatment, results replicate previous findings, supporting the view that negative depressive thinking reflects a change in schematic mental models through which the world is interpreted. Results are inconsistent with predictions from the construct accessibility view. The results have methodological implications for the use of the sentence completion task in future studies.
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The aim of this article is to demonstrate the utility of the concept of cognitive dissonance in clinical psychology by showing how it may underlie an existing intervention. The technique of motivational interviewing (MI) is taken as an example of an area where the literature on cognitive dissonance can find such an application. The further aim of this exercise is to utilize insights from cognitive dissonance to suggest possible modifications to the intervention as it currently stands. ⋯ The concept of cognitive dissonance can clearly be seen to be of use in understanding the mechanism of action of MI. It can further be of use in guiding modifications to this existing intervention. This concept, and others available through the experimental psychological literature, can be of use in all branches of clinical psychology.