cognitive techniques

what is cognitive restructuring

changing negative or distorted thoughts

what is the key idea behind cognitive restructuring

we are affected by our interpretation of events, not the events themselves

• the same situation can lead to dif emotions depending on how its interpreted

who developed cognitive restructuring approaches

Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis

what did Aaron Beck focus on

cognitive distortions (negative thinking patterns)

what did Albert Ellis focus on

irrational thoughts and making them more rational

what leads to psychological problems in the cognitive model

maladaptive schemas —> cognitive distortions —> distress

what are schemas

core beliefs about the world (ex. the world is dangerous)

what is a thought record

a tool to analyze and change thoughts

what are the main steps of a thought record

situation —> thoughts —> emotions —> evidence —> alternative thoughts —> new thoughts

why rate emotions and beliefs in the thought record

to track intensity and change over time

what is the goal of cognitive restructuring

replace distorted thoughts with more balanced ones

what is probability estimation

estimating how likely a feared outcome actually is

cost-benefit analysis

weighing pros and cons of a thought

what is the main takeaway of cognitive techniques

thoughts shape emotions, so changing thoughts changes feelings