The Cognitive Approach in psychology is a relatively modern approach to human behaviour that

focuses on how we think, with the belief that such thought processes affect the way in which we
behave (other approaches take other factors into account, such as the biological approach, which
acknowledges the influences of genetics and chemical imbalances on our behaviour).
What it is and where the cognitive approach came from
1.

Stimulus (External Factor)

2.

3.

affects:

Response (Human Behavior)

There is some dispute as to who created the cognitive approach, but some sources attribute the term
to the 1950s and 1960s, with Ulric Neisser's book Cognitive Psychology, which made allusions of the
human mind working in a similar fashion to computers. The approach came about in part due to the
dissatisfaction with the behavioural approach, which focused on our visible behaviour without
understanding the internal processes that create it. The approach is based on the principle that our
behaviour is generated by a series of stimuli and responses to these by thought processes.
Comparison to other approaches
Cognitive (meaning "knowing") psychologists attempt to create rules and explanations of human
behavior and eventually generalise them to everyone's behaviour. The Humanistic
Approach opposes this, taking into account individual differences that make us each behave
differently. The cognitive approach attempts to apply a scientific approach to human behaviour, which
is reductionist in that it doesn't necessarily take into account such differences. However, popular case
studies of individual behaviour such as HM have lead cognitive psychology to take into account
ideosynchracies of our behaviour. On the other hand, cognitive psychology acknowledges the thought
process that goes into our behaviour, and the different moods that we experience that can impact on
the way we respond to circumstances.
Key Assumptions

Human behaviour can be explained as a set of scientific processes.

Our behaviour can be explained as a series of responses to external stimuli.

Behaviour is controlled by our own thought processes, as opposed to genetic factors.

Lesson Transcript
Instructor: Lisa Roundy

Lisa has taught at all levels from kindergarten to college and has a master's degree in human
relations.

What do you get when you take Albert Ellis and have him merge cognitive techniques with
behaviorism? Why REBT, of course! Learn more about the application of rational emotive
behavior therapy in this lesson.

Albert Ellis and REBT

Imagine a young man who is afraid to talk to women he doesn't know. He would really like to
meet someone special, and he realizes that this fear is limiting his opportunities. Then, the
young man had an idea! He went to a botanical garden near his apartment every day for the
next month and forced himself to talk to 100 different women during this time.

The young man was turned down for a date by all 100 women, but he did accomplish
something. His fear of rejection by women was not as strong as it had been, and he no longer
had a great fear of talking to them. He had overcome one of his strongest emotional struggles.

This young man's name was Albert Ellis. He went on to become a well-known therapist who
developed similar cognitive behavioral techniques used in his rational emotive behavior
therapy.

Rational emotive behavior therapy was one of the first cognitive behavior therapies. It is also
known as REBT. It is a form of cognitive behavior therapy that emphasizes reorganizing
cognitive and emotional functions, redefining problems, and changing attitudes in order to
develop more acceptable patterns of behavior.

Merging Cognitive & Behavioral Approaches

Ellis' concept of REBT began as simply rational emotive therapy (RET). You will sometimes
hear the two used interchangeably because of this. During his early work as a psychotherapist,
he noticed that a person would improve their situation much more quickly when they changed
their way of thinking about themselves and their problems.

Therefore, his initial approach centered on the reorganization of the way a person structured
their thinking about life. He wanted a person to adopt a more rational way of thinking about a
problem or about a situation so that they would feel a different emotional response.

While working on this technique, Ellis made another observation. When a person employed a
behavioral intervention to help them change their way of thinking, they could improve their
situation with an even faster rate of success.

In this way, REBT was developed out of a blending of cognitive and behavioral techniques.
Ellis' technique is still sometimes used as RET without a behavioral component.

The Therapeutic Experience

The process of REBT involves a collaborative effort between the therapist and client to change
irrational beliefs. Insight alone does not lead to change but helps clients see how they are
sabotaging their own lives and what they can do to change. Because REBT is essentially a
cognitive and directive behavioral process, an emotional bond between the client and therapist
is not necessary. In fact, Ellis believed that too much warmth and understanding could be
counterproductive to the therapeutic process by creating dependence on therapist's approval.

The therapist helps clients see how they have incorporated many irrational beliefs into their
lives. They demonstrate to the client how they are keeping emotional disturbances active by
continuing to experience these irrational beliefs. Once these irrational beliefs are properly
recognized, they help the client to find ways to modify their thinking and find a more rational
philosophy for life to prevent future problems from arising.

The client takes an active role in restructuring their thoughts after they have accepted that their
irrational beliefs are responsible for negative emotions or behaviors. They learn how to apply
logical thought to their lives, participate in experiential exercises, and do assigned behavioral
homework.

A-B-C Framework & Therapeutic Techniques

The A-B-C framework, a tool used for visualizing a client's feelings, thoughts, events, and
behaviors, is central to REBT.

The A-B-C framework is like a flow chart showing the interaction of the various components
like this:

A represents the activating event. This event is followed by B, a belief. This belief will then have
an emotional or behavioral consequence, labeled as C. If the belief is irrational or followed by
negative consequences, according to REBT it would need to be changed. This change takes
place by introducing a disrupting intervention, labeled as D. Essentially, D is the application of
methods to help clients challenge their irrational beliefs. This intervention will be followed by E,
some new effect that occurs. This new effect leads to a new feeling, labeled as F. By following
this process, a person can choose to change a negative A-B-C cycle and replace it with a more
positive cycle of emotions and behaviors.

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