34.2Cognitive Therapies: Ellis and Beck's Approaches

What are cognitive therapies focused on?

Irrational thought and faulty logic as the source of psychological disorders.

Who developed Rational Emotive Therapy?

Albert Ellis.

What does Rational Emotive Therapy link psychological distress to?

The tendency of people to recite maladaptive, harmful thoughts to themselves.

What are the ABC's of maladaptive thoughts according to Ellis?

A: Activating experience, B: Beliefs (false beliefs), C: Consequences (emotional consequences like depression or anxiety).

What is an example of an activating experience in Rational Emotive Therapy?

Scoring particularly low on a math test.

What false belief might be triggered by a low math test score?

That you will never do well on a math test and are a failure.

What is an example of restructuring a maladaptive thought?

Changing 'I will never do well on a math test and I'm a failure' to 'I can do better on math exams and I will do better.'

What does Beck's cognitive therapy focus on?

Changing maladaptive thoughts that people suffering from depression tend to use.

What is selective perception in the context of Beck's therapy?

Focusing on negative aspects of one's world instead of seeing the positives.

What is overgeneralization?

Applying one single event as extended to a number of other possible situations.

What is all-or-nothing thinking?

Seeing events as either all great or all bad, with no middle ground.

What does cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) combine?

The ideas of cognitive therapies with the techniques of behavioral therapies.

What is the central idea of CBT?

That thoughts, behaviors, and emotions interact in ways that can lead to anxiety or depression.