Cognitive Therapy Key Terms

Question 1

What is the A-B-C Model of Personality?

Answer 1

A temporal sequence of antecedents, behavior, and consequences; emphasizes changing beliefs to alter problematic emotions and behaviors.

Question 2

What are Arbitrary Inferences?

Answer 2

Cognitive distortions that involve drawing conclusions without supporting evidence.

Question 3

What are Automatic Thoughts?

Answer 3

Maladaptive thoughts that arise reflexively and without conscious deliberation.

Question 4

What is Cognitive Behavior Modification (CBM)?

Answer 4

A therapeutic approach focused on changing client self-verbalizations.

Question 5

What is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)?

Answer 5

A treatment approach that targets changing cognitions to address psychological issues.

Question 6

What are Cognitive Distortions?

Answer 6

Misconceptions or faulty assumptions, including arbitrary inference, selective abstraction, overgeneralization, magnification, minimization, labeling, and personalization.

Question 7

What is the Cognitive Narrative Perspective?

Answer 7

Focuses on the stories individuals tell about themselves and their lives.

Question 8

What is Cognitive Restructuring?

Answer 8

Actively changing maladaptive thought patterns and replacing them with constructive and adaptive thoughts.

Question 9

What is Cognitive Structure?

Answer 9

The organizing aspect of thinking that monitors and directs thought patterns.

Question 10

What is Cognitive Therapy (CT)?

Answer 10

Attempts to modify faulty thinking and beliefs to change emotions and behaviors.

Question 11

What is the Cognitive Triad?

Answer 11

A pattern of negative thoughts about oneself, the world, and the future that triggers depression.

Question 12

What is Collaborative Empiricism?

Answer 12

Viewing the client as a scientist to examine their thoughts and test hypotheses.

Question 13

What is the Constructivist Approach?

Answer 13

A recent development emphasizing subjective frameworks and interpretations of client beliefs.

Question 14

What is the Constructivist Narrative Perspective?

Answer 14

An approach focusing on personal stories and their significance.

Question 15

What is a Coping Skills Program?

Answer 15

A behavioral method for helping clients deal with stressful situations by modifying thinking patterns.

Question 16

What is Dichotomous Thinking?

Answer 16

A cognitive error categorizing experiences in extremes.

Question 17

What is Distortion of Reality?

Answer 17

Erroneous thinking disrupting life, which can be corrected with objective appraisals.

Question 18

What is the Generic Cognitive Model?

Answer 18

Principles for applying cognitive therapy to a variety of problems.

Question 19

What is Homework in therapy?

Answer 19

Carefully designed assignments to help clients dispute self-defeating thinking and promote change.

Question 20

What is Internal Dialogue?

Answer 20

Inner self-talk often tied to maladaptive patterns.

Question 21

What is an Irrational Belief?

Answer 21

Unreasonable convictions causing emotional and behavioral problems.

Question 22

What is Labeling and Mislabeling?

Answer 22

Portraying identity based on imperfections or mistakes.

Question 23

What are Magnification and Minimization?

Answer 23

Distorting situations by making them appear greater or lesser than they are.

Question 24

What is Musterbation?

Answer 24

Rigid thinking where individuals believe they must, should, or ought to act in certain ways.

Question 25

What is the Negative Cognitive Triad?

Answer 25

Negative views of the self, world, and future.

Question 26

What is Overgeneralization?

Answer 26

Applying a single event to all situations or settings.

Question 27

What is Personalization?

Answer 27

Taking external events as personal when there is no basis for it.

Question 28

What is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)?

Answer 28

Combines cognition, emotion, and behavior to address emotional problems.

Question 29

What is Rational Emotive Imagery?

Answer 29

A mental practice for learning emotional responses.

Question 30

What is Rationality?

Answer 30

Thinking and acting in ways that align with attaining goals.

Question 31

What is Relapse Prevention?

Answer 31

Identifying situations where clients may regress and creating coping strategies.

Question 32

What is a Schema?

Answer 32

Core beliefs that influence behavior, often linked to dysfunction.

Question 33

What is Selective Abstraction?

Answer 33

Drawing conclusions based on isolated details.

Question 34

What is Self-Instructional Therapy?

Answer 34

Teaches clients how self-talk influences their behavior.

Question 35

What is Self-Talk?

Answer 35

Internal dialogue during stressful situations.

Question 36

What are Shame-Attacking Exercises?

Answer 36

Strategies encouraging clients to act despite fear of embarrassment.

Question 37

What is Socratic Dialogue?

Answer 37

Helping clients test the validity of their beliefs.

Question 38

What is Strengths-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy (SB-CBT)?

Answer 38

Emphasizes strengths, resilience, and resources for positive change.

Question 39

What is Stress Inoculation?

Answer 39

Gradual exposure to mild stress to develop tolerance for stronger stimuli.

Question 40

What is Stress Inoculation Training (SIT)?

Answer 40

A multi-phase approach including information, cognitive restructuring, relaxation, and behavioral rehearsals.

Question 41

What is Therapeutic Collaboration?

Answer 41

Therapist and client actively participate in all therapy phases.

Question 42

What are Thought Records?

Answer 42

Identifying and challenging negative automatic thoughts.