Irrational Beliefs Flashcards
What is REBT?
Developed by Ellis in 1955
Action-oriented therapeutic approach
Aims to replace self-defeating (irrational) thoughts, feelings & behaviours with more effective alternatives
What are the core principles of REBT?
Rational thought - supports fundamental goals, purposes & values for happiness
Irrational thought - sabotages these goals, leading to self-defeating behaviours
Emotional growth & change - achieved by challenging & transforming irrational beliefs into rational ones
What is the role of irrational beliefs?
People disturb themselves through unreasonable/ irrational ideas
These beliefs cause feelings such as anxiety, depression, anger or self-pity
What is the ABC model in REBT?
A - activating event
B - belief
C - consequence
How are irrational beliefs & emotional disturbances treated in REBT?
Crooked thinking/ cognitive slippage
REBT identifies irrational beliefs rooted in absolutist evaluations (should, ought) & these create self-defeating consequences by distorting goals & expectations
What are natural vs absolutistic desires?
Natural to desire goals
Problems arise when desires become rigid demands
Core musts often lead to emotional & behavioural problems
What are the core irrational beliefs in REBT?
Need for approval - necessary to be loved & approved
Overgeneralised moral judgement - certain acts are inherently awful
Catastrophic in preference - terrible when things don’t go the way you want
Fear & obsession over danger - something is dangerous = become upset by it
Dependency/ external support - require someone stronger to rely on
What is the impact of irrational beliefs?
High level of anxiety - cause catastrophic outcomes
Relationship problems - unrealistic expectations cause conflict
Anger, guilt & jelousy - absolutistic thinking fosters negative emotions
Isolation & withdrawal - certain beliefs may lead to social avoidance
What are the goals of REBT?
Replace absolutistic demands with flexible, rational beleifs
Promote emotional health by addressing their irrational beliefs cause it distress
Encourage people to embrace imperfections & take responsibility for emotional wellbeing
What are challenges to irrational beliefs?
They can have positive effect - opposite of traditional ‘harmful’ view
Superstitious behaviour & belief in luck
Adaption to stress - stress reduction in uncertainty serving as adaptive tool in high-stakes environment
Cognitive bias fosters optimism
Why could superstitious beliefs in luck be described as irrational?
Rely on musts, should’ve etc which create rigid unrealistic expectations, promote all or nothing thinking (ignoring complexity of life), shift responsibility to external factors, lead to emotional disturbance with unmet expectations & reduce adaptability
What is the adaptive potential of superstitious beliefs?
Traditional view - seen as irrational & harmful, linked to anxiety & poor physiological adjustment
Alternative view - helps manage uncontrollable situations (Langer, 1975), provides psychological comfort during uncertainty (Subbotsky, 2004)
What is the role of superstition in sport?
Rituals - enhance performance
Common rituals include wearing same clothes, pregame meals
Reduce tension, create as placebo effect for optimal performance & ritual use increases with uncertainty
What are psychological benefits of irrational beliefs?
Psychological comfort during uncertainty
Foster sense of control in uncontrollable situations
Reduce stress & anxiety through structured behaviour
How does luck act as an optimistic cognitive bias?
Believing in good luck creates positive cognitive bias, where individuals percieve events & outcomes as more favourable than they may objectively be
How can luck act as a double edged phenomenon (Darke & Freedman, 1997)
Belief in bad luck - reinforce negative outcomes but also provide cognitive framework for attributing failures
Belief in god luck - promotes optimism & confidence, supports emotional wellbeing
How does luck influence opportunity (Wiseman, 2001)?
Perceptions influence behaviour
Lucky people create opportunities by being proactive
Unlucky people miss opportunities by avoiding risk
How does optimism act as a cognitive bias?
Believing in luck creates positive cognitive bias, where individuals percieve events & outcomes as more favourable than they may objectively be
