Thought Quiz

Question 1

Advantages of Cognitive Approaches:

Answer 1

Thoughts are readily available.
Talking about thoughts is less intrusive than talking about emotions.
Thoughts can be easily changed.
Can lead to rapid change.

Question 2

Role of Thoughts:

Answer 2

Changes to thoughts can lead to changes in feelings and actions.

Question 3

Role of behavior and emotion:

Answer 3

Behavior and emotion is improved once dysfunctional thinking is evaluated and modified.

Question 4

Main premise, focus, and goal of Beck’s Cognitive Therapy:

Answer 4

Changes in thinking lead to changes in feeling and acting.
The goal is to help people recognize and correct errors in their information-processing systems.

Question 5

Automatic thoughts-

Answer 5

The stream of cognitions that are constantly flowing through our minds. They are situation—specific and spontaneous to our experiences. (Ex. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get all this work done, I think I’ll eat a healthy lunch today.)

Question 6

Intermediate thoughts-

Answer 6

Reflect extreme/absolute rules and attitudes that shapes automatic thoughts. (Ex. My sister should call her family when she is in town.)

Question 7

Core Beliefs-

Answer 7

Central ideas about ourselves, often “global, rigid, and over generalized”. Typically stem from childhood experiences and are not usually true. Reflect our worldviews. (Ex. I am a likable person, I am a failure.)

Question 8

Schema-

Answer 8

Go beyond core beliefs, are in breadth and include thoughts, emotions and actions. Specific rules that govern information processing and behavior. Act as mental filters- affecting how we perceive reality. They can lie dormant until triggered. (Ex. The world is a dangerous place, avoid any possible danger.)
-When schema is activated it incorporates any confirming information and tends to neglect contradicting information.

Question 9

Therapeutic process alliance and role of empathy in cognitive therapy:

Answer 9

Requires a sound alliance- the therapist is active, collaborative, goal-oriented, and problem-focused. Strive to be non-judge mental and help clients develop skills need to make their own choices. They use guided discovery to help clients toward new thoughts and ideas from which they formulate their own conclusions.

It is important that the therapist asks for feedback at the end of the session or any time the client becomes negative.

Question 10

Therapeutic process of Beck’s Cognitive Therapy-

Answer 10

Therapeutic relationship is crucial
Establish an agenda
Psychoeducation- educate
Work TOGETHER to establish goals.
Guided Discovery
Empowerment (HW & Feedback)

Question 11

Cognitive Distortions:

Answer 11

Unrealistic Thinking. Includes:

All or nothing thinking
Mental filter (focusing on negative details)
Emotional Reasoning (it must be true because I feel it)
Magnification/minimization (perceiving a situation greater or lesser than it deserves)
Should and Musts
Jumping to conclusions
Catastrophizing (predicting a negative outcome)
Mind-reading
Overgeneralization (holding a belief based off of one event)
Personalization (Relating external events to personal experiences)
Labeling and mislabeling (portraying one’s identity on the basis of the imperfections of their past)
Tunnel Vision (focusing only on the negative aspects of a situation)

Question 12

Techniques to modify thoughts in CT:

Answer 12

Challenging absolute statements- “Never? Your husband NEVER does that?”
Activity Scheduling- plan and try out new behaviors or ways of thinking
Reattributing Blame- Did they ask you to take care of the house?
Cognitive rehearsal- mentally rehearse a behavior of successfully completing a challenging situation
Diversions/distractions- distracting troubling thoughts (trying on a new outfit instead)
Self-talk
Affirmations
Keeping diaries
Letter writing
Systematic assessment of alternatives- pros and cons list
Relabeling or reframing- thinking of yourself as a person who keeps trying instead of a failure
Role-playing
Distancing- projecting into the future to diminish its importance. (Getting a B in college meant nothing later)
Bibliotherapy- Reading other books about people who have coped well
Graded task assignments- starting clients with easy assignments that guarantee success and increasing difficulty

Question 13

Impact of the past in CT:

Answer 13

Does not typically look into the past and focuses on the present.

Question 14

Efficacy and use of CT with specific disorders:

Answer 14

Effective for most major disorders, particularly mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and PTSD.

Question 15

Multicultural application of CT:

Answer 15

Helps people from a wide variety of age and backgrounds since it does not require disclosure or personal experiences. More research is needed in this area.

Question 16

Main Premise of Ellis’s REBT (emphasis of emotion, thought, behavior):

Answer 16

Emotion and behavior can best be modified by changing thinking. Emotions, behaviors, and thoughts are intertwined and inseparable. Treatment must attend to all 3.
If people can become aware of their emotions and their impact, this can facilitate efforts to identify and change irrational beliefs.
Behaviors are the secondary focus of treatment, they measure progress and are the prime target of HW assignments.

Question 17

REBT Irrational & Distorted thoughts:

Answer 17

Beliefs are either rational or irrational.
Rational- Logical
Irrational- include words like should, ought, and must and usually include demands of self, others, and the world.

Question 18

Origin of emotional disturbance:

Answer 18

Emotional disturbance results from a combination of innate predisposition toward irrational thinking along with life experiences.

Question 19

Interventions & techniques of REBT:

Answer 19

Uses format ABCDE

Disputing irrational beliefs— Logical disputes, Empirical disputes, functional disputing strategies, rational alternative beliefs

Rational Emotive Imagery (REI)- Used to reinforce positive change after identifying irrational beliefs.
Cognitive (Socratic questioning, etc.)
Behavioral (Using relaxation techniques etc.)
Affective (Using emotionally charge language etc.)

Question 20

ABCDE Model:

Answer 20

Format for identifying, assessing, disputing, and modifying beliefs.

A- Identification of the activating event (my boss gave me an average rating on my evaluation)
B- The person’s belief about the activating event (my boss should praise me more)
C- Consequences of the belief (experiencing anger at home about possibly losing his job after berating his boss)
D- Dispute irrational beliefs (examining the logic belief, pointing out perfectionist tendencies, or meeting with boss to provide additional feedback)
E- New rational effect/beliefs (I am disappointed by the feedback, but it’s not the end of the world)

Question 21

REBT Multicultural application:

Answer 21

Compatible with many cultural expectations but should use with care when working with people from non-Western backgrounds.

Question 22

Role of insight in REBT:

Answer 22

Insight (finding the origin of the person’s problem/disturbance), is not an essential part of REBT and can is seen at potentially harmful leading to self-blame. 3 levels of insight include:

The insight to see that we choose to upset ourselves.
We acquired our irrational beliefs and continue to maintain them.
We need to work hard to change.

Question 23

Role of application to diagnostic groups for REBT:

Answer 23

Mild to moderate mental disorders (depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, adjustment disorders) and people with substance abuse problems.

NOT appropriate for clients with psychotic disorders, impulse control disorders, or people who are suicidal or fragile.

Question 24

Stress Inoculation-

Answer 24

An approach to reduce stress- helps immunize people against the adverse impact of stress by successfully handling increasing levels of stress. 3 phases:

Conceptualization- Client is taught about stress and coping.
Skills acquisition and rehearsal- Teaches people to cope with mild stressors. (Identifying the problem, goal selection, eval of possible solutions, and decision making + rehearsal of coping strategies).
Application and follow-through- People implant their plans. A scale is used to rate stress before and after follow through.

Question 25

Exposure Therapy-

Answer 25

Used for anxiety disorder- learns to identify fears and then learns new methods of coping, rather than giving into the fear.

Graduated exposure (confront fear for very short period of time)
Systematic desensitization (introduce the fear in ways that reduce fear rather than increase)
Interoceptive- experience feared bodily sensations (shortness of breath) in a safe environment.
Virtual reality

Question 26

EMDR

Answer 26

(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)- exposure therapy that combines (eye movement, sounds, tapping) in an 8 step process. Helps with people who suffer from trauma (rape) and the negative images with behavioral desensitization.

Question 27

ACT

Answer 27

(Acceptance Development of Act)- Attend to cognitions and help clients learn they don’t have to act on their thoughts or emotions. Thoughts and words can entangle people to result in internal struggles with themselves. Goal is to help clients accept cognitions and emotions that are outside of their control. (Mindfulness practices are used to stay in the moment).

Question 28

Application to diagnostic groups for other specific CBT Approaches:

Answer 28

Good for mood disorders, anxiety disorders, PTSD, token economies, and sexual dysfunction.