ABSTRACT
Beck has a long-standing interest in Charles Darwin and evolutionary theory. He was especially interested in the views of John Bowlby who espoused a concept of ‘attachment’ as a ‘working model in the mind’ that seemed quite similar to Beck’s schema concept and has been used to explain aspects of psychological problems such as depression, grief and developmental problems. Encouraged by his discussions with Bowlby, Beck advanced an evolutionary model of anxiety – where, for example, a hyper-awareness of danger has at least some survival value. He also offered an evolutionary model of depression, which suggests that withdrawal – at least for a time – is a functional response to loss or defeat. The chapter describes how Beck also applied similar concepts to personality disorders.
