Which therapy is explicitly associated with using the A-B-C Model to explain emotional distress?

Which therapy is explicitly associated with using the A-B-C Model to explain emotional distress?

• A. Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
• B. Psychoanalytic Therapy
• C. Client-Centered Therapy
• D. Existential Therapy

Answer: (A)

The A-B-C model explains emotional distress by showing how beliefs about events drive feelings and behaviors. The Activating event starts the chain, but it’s the Beliefs about that event that shape the emotional Consequences. Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy explicitly uses this framework to identify irrational beliefs and dispute them, aiming to replace distortions with more rational thoughts. For example, a failed test is the Activating event, the belief might be “I must be perfect and I failed; therefore I’m worthless,” and the Consequences are anxiety and withdrawal. REBT helps the person challenge that belief and adopt a flexible view like, “I didn’t do well this time, but I can study differently and improve.” This direct cognitive focus is what sets REBT apart from therapies that emphasize past conflicts, unconditional self-acceptance, or meaning without the same structured belief-dispute process.

The A-B-C model explains emotional distress by showing how beliefs about events drive feelings and behaviors. The Activating event starts the chain, but it’s the Beliefs about that event that shape the emotional Consequences. Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy explicitly uses this framework to identify irrational beliefs and dispute them, aiming to replace distortions with more rational thoughts. For example, a failed test is the Activating event, the belief might be “I must be perfect and I failed; therefore I’m worthless,” and the Consequences are anxiety and withdrawal. REBT helps the person challenge that belief and adopt a flexible view like, “I didn’t do well this time, but I can study differently and improve.” This direct cognitive focus is what sets REBT apart from therapies that emphasize past conflicts, unconditional self-acceptance, or meaning without the same structured belief-dispute process.