CBT Theory & Core Principles Flashcards

Albert Ellis's Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) uses the ABC model. What does the 'B' stand for?

Answer: Beliefs

In Ellis's ABC model, B stands for Beliefs — the rational or irrational beliefs about the activating event that produce emotional consequences.

Which cognitive distortion involves concluding that one negative event will lead to a never-ending pattern of defeat?

Answer: Overgeneralization

Overgeneralization draws a sweeping conclusion from a single negative incident, applying it globally to all future situations.

Behavioral experiments in CBT differ from exposure exercises primarily in that they:

Answer: Are designed to test the validity of specific beliefs rather than reduce anxiety through habituation

Behavioral experiments are designed to gather evidence that directly tests a specific belief, while exposure targets anxiety reduction through habituation or inhibitory learning.

The concept of 'reciprocal determinism,' introduced by Bandura, contributes to CBT by explaining that:

Answer: Behavior, cognition, and environment all mutually influence each other

Reciprocal determinism holds that behavior, cognitive factors, and environmental influences are interdependent and continuously interact.

Which of the following is NOT one of Beck's original cognitive distortions?

Answer: Flooding

Flooding is a behavioral technique involving prolonged exposure, not a cognitive distortion in Beck's taxonomy.

In the CBT formulation, 'maintenance factors' refer to:

Answer: Current processes keeping the problem alive despite its original cause

Maintenance factors are the ongoing cognitive, behavioral, and environmental processes that perpetuate the problem in the present.

Which metaphor is commonly used in ACT (a third-wave CBT) to illustrate cognitive defusion?

Answer: Leaves floating on a stream

ACT uses the 'leaves on a stream' exercise to help clients observe thoughts passing by without fusing with them.