CBT Flashcards
What is Cognitive Based Therapy?
Understanding thoughts + feelings that influence behaviour
Short term + focused to deal with a specific problem
People learn how to identify and change destructive/disturbing thought patterns that have a negative influence on behaviour
Benefit: we change the way we think, feel or act better even if the situation does not change
List the 3 core concepts attached to CBT.
Negative automatic thoughts
Cognitive errors
Schemas
Explain what is concept of automatic thoughts is.
Inner thoughts that stream rapidly through our minds, they are typically private or unspoken
Can be identified and recognised if we draw attention to them
They occur in the presence of strong emotions (depression, anxiety, anger)
These thoughts are maladaptive or distorted
Can generate painful emotional reactions and dysfunctional behaviour
Provide two examples of an event, the automatic thoughts and emotions associated with it.
Event 1: Mother calls and asks why I forgot my sister’s birthday.
Automatic thoughts: I messed up again and there’s not way I will ever please her. I can do anything right. What’s the use?
Emotions: Sadness, anger
Event 2: My partner complains that I am irritable all the time.
Automatic thoughts: I am failing as a partner, I don’t enjoy anything and why would anyone want to be around me?
Emotion: Sadness, anxiety
Describe the type of automatic thoughts one may experience during a time where they are feeling depressed?
Usually negatively biased, distorted, dysfunctional, overly critical and maladaptive
Centre around the themes of hopelessness, low self esteem and failure
Describe the type of automatic thoughts one may experience during a time where they are feeling anxious?
Predictions of danger, harm, uncontrollability, or inability to manage threats
Explain what is concept of cognitive errors is.
Characteristic errors in automatic thoughts of people with emotional disorders = cognitive errors or distortions
Provide a list of types of cognitive errors there are. Give a brief definition of each.
Selective abstraction: conclusion is drawn after looking at only a small portion of the available information (usually negative aspect) and ignoring the positive ones
Over generalisation: conclusion is made one or more isolated incidents and then extended to other areas of functioning
All or nothing thinking: judgement about self, personal experiences or other are placed into one or two categories
Magnification and minimisation: significance of an attribute, event, emotion or behaviour is exaggerated or minimised
Name the main groups of schemas? Provide a definition and example for each.
Simple: rules about practical management of everyday activities or about laws of nature.
(Good education pays off/need to work hard to be successful)
Intermediary beliefs + assumptions: conditional rules such as if-then statements that influence self esteem and emotional regulation (i must be perfect to be accepted)
Core beliefs about self: absolute tules for interpreting information related to self esteem (I am a failure)
