Irrational Beliefs and Unconditional Self-Acceptance. II. Experimental Evidence for a Causal Link between Two Key Features of REBT

In a test of two key features of REBT, causal relationships between irrational beliefs and unconditional self-acceptance were experimentally investigated in a sample of 106 non-clinical participants using a priming technique. Priming participants with statements of irrational belief resulted in a decrease in unconditional self-acceptance whereas priming participants with statements of rational belief resulted in an increase in unconditional self-acceptance. In contrast, priming participants with statements about unconditional self-acceptance did not result in an increase in rational thinking and priming participants with statements about conditional self-acceptance did not result in an increase in irrational thinking. The present study is the first to provide evidence of a causal link between rational/irrational thinking and unconditional/conditional self-acceptance. The findings have important implications for the core hypothesis of REBT and underscore the advantages of experimental over correlational studies in theory-testing.     

CORRECTION DES VERBALISATIONS IRRATIONNELLES CHEZ DES JOUEURS DE POKER-VIDEO*

Earlier studies have shown that irrational thinking dominates rational thinking during gambling. The present study evaluated the effects of cognitive restructuring on gambling behaviors among video poker players. Within a single case experimental design across subjects, the results showed that irrational verbalizations decreased during treatment while rational verbalizations increased. Three out of four players reduced their frequency of gambling following treatment. The theoretical and clinical implications of these results are discussed.     

Gambling: Relationship Between the Frequency of Wins and Irrational Thinking

In this study, we evaluated the relationship between the number of wins and the number of irrational verbalizations on the part of individuals playing American roulette. We predicted that subjects who win frequently would make more irrational verbalizations than rational verbalizations compared to subjects who win infrequently. Twenty Canadian subjects (8 men, 12 women) were randomly divided into two experimental groups (frequent vs. infrequent wins). The subjects used the thinking aloud procedure to verbalize their thoughts, which were then classified according to degree of rationality or irrationality. The results showed that irrational verbalizations outnumbered rational verbalizations in both groups. A few wins were sufficient to evoke an illusory perception of control.     

Sex-role typing as related to acceptance of self, acceptance of others, and discriminatory attitudes toward women

This study examines four hypotheses relating sex-role typing to self-acceptance, acceptance of others, and sexist attitudes toward women. University students completed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory, the Berger Self-Acceptance Scale, and the Macho Scale. Findings showed more self-acceptance than acceptance of others among masculine-typed subjects and more acceptance of others than self-acceptance among feminine-typed subjects. Feminine-typed males and masculine-type females showed least self-acceptance among the six groups, while androgynous subjects showed highest self-acceptance. Masculine-typed males were least accepting of others and scored highest in discriminatory attitudes toward women. Male subjects showed greater variability than did female subjects on all scales, and Bem's measure of sex-role typing proved a more efficient moderator of scores of males than of those of females. Additional personality and behavioral research with sex-role typing variables is proposed.     

The Common Belief Inventory for Students: a measure of rationality in children

The Common Belief Inventory for Students (CBIS) was developed to create a measure of rationality in children. The CBIS was formulated within Ellis's conceptual framework of Rational Behavior Training. It was constructed to yield a total score as well as a score for each of Ellis's 11 irrational ideas. A pretest/post-test design was employed over experimental and control groups (n = 1,226), Subjects in the experimental group were exposed to one hour of Rational Behavior Training each week for six weeks. Results indicated that the items were reliable indicators of the total test score and the belief scores. Belief components were reliable indicators of the total test score. Total test reliability estimates were adequate. The CBIS also appeared sensitive to the use of RBT methods to enhance rational thinking.     

Relation of irrational thinking and the Pessimistic Explanatory Style

This study investigated the possible relationship between Ellis's construct of irrational thinking and Seligman's construct of explanatory style, with a view toward possibly strengthening the personality theory underlying Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy in particular and cognitive-behavior therapies more generally. In this investigation 180 college students were administered the Survey of Personal Beliefs and the Attributional Style Questionnaire to measure irrational thinking and explanatory style, respectively. Students who scored higher on Pessimistic Explanatory Style also scored higher on Overall Irrational Thinking and on Low Frustration Tolerance than did those who were categorized as having an Optimistic Explanatory Style. This indicates support for Ellis's developing personality theory, especially his theoretical account of depression.     

Muscularity rationality: An examination of the use of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) upon exercisers at risk of muscle dysmorphia

Research in the area of body image suggests that muscularity dissatisfaction is a prominent concern among men and women. At its apex, this concern manifests into a convoluted and debilitating body image disorder termed muscle dysmorphia (MD), characterised by a marked preoccupation with ones (subjective) muscularity and leanness inadequacy. Prevention of MD is critical, however, empirical evidence informing intervention protocols are profoundly scarce. The principal aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a one-to-one Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) intervention, comprising five, 60-min one-to-one sessions, in decreasing MD symptomatology, irrational beliefs and increasing unconditional self-acceptance in a mixed-sex cohort of four exercisers at-risk of MD. A single-case, staggered multiple-baseline across participant A-B design was adopted to examine the effects of REBT. Visual and statistical analyses, and social validation data, indicated reductions in MD, irrational beliefs, and increases in unconditional self-acceptance across all participants from pre-post intervention phases, with reductions upheld at a 6-month follow-up. This study highlights the potential role of rational and irrational beliefs in the onset and maintenance of MD. This study is the first to report the application of a CBT approach to MD symptomology, and has demonstrated the use of REBT as a potential preventative approach for individuals at risk of MD. Practitioners working with individuals at risk of MD should take a benefit-focussed approach to support individuals in developing unconditional self-acceptance beliefs, as well as a problem-focussed approach to support individuals in reducing irrational beliefs.     

Self-reported affect and core irrational thinking: A preliminary analysis

Prior tests of irrational thinking have included affect words in their irrational idea statements. Thus, because of content similarity, spuriously high correlations may have been previously observed between the endorsement of irrational ideas and self reported affect. A new measure of core irrational ideas, the Personal Beliefs Test, was given to 70 adults between the ages of 17 and 58. Results showed moderate correlations with neuroticism and self-reported negative affect, and a non-significant association with positive affect, thus supporting RET theory. Most of the explained variance in negative affect was related to the endorsement of irrational, Low Frustration Tolerance and Self Worth statements. This suggests that rational emotive therapists might devote greater time to disputing these ideas. Since most studies, including the present one, find only moderate correlations (i.e. .20 to .70) between irrational thinking and negative affect, it seems important to review the hypothesis that such thinking is theprimary cause of emotionality.He is a Fellow of the Institute for Rational Emotive Therapy and Holds the ABPP diploma in Clinical Psychology.Copies of the Personal Beliefs Test can be obtained from the author.     

Generational patterns in Mexican Americans' academic performance in an unwelcoming political context

Research has shown that immigrant students often do better academically than their U.S.-born peers from the same ethnic group, but it is unclear whether this pattern holds for Mexican Americans. We examined the academic performance of four generations of Mexican American students from 5th to 10th grade looking for generation differences and explanations for them. Using data from 749 families, we tested a model with 5th-grade variables that differed by generation as potential mediators linking student generation to 10th-grade academic performance. Results showed that immigrants were academically behind at 5th grade but caught up by 7th. Only economic hardship mediated the long term relation between student generation and 10th-grade academic performance; maternal educational expectations and child language hassles, English usage, discrimination, and mainstream values helped explained the early academic deficit of immigrant children. The results identified potential targets for interventions to improve Mexican American students' academic performance.     

Attitudes Toward Civil Liberties: A Cross-Cultural Study

In a test of the hypothesis that irrational thinking is associated with phobic anxiety, the Rational Behavior Inventory and the Fear Survey Schedule were administered to 128 undergraduates. Although a statistically significant correlation between irrationality and phobic anxiety was found, the result appears to have little clincial meaning. Other evidence is cited which suggests that rational emotive therapy is best suited for the treatment of generalized anxiety, whereas deconditioning treatments are appropriate for most cases of phobic anxiety.     

Irrational Beliefs and Unconditional Self-Acceptance. III. The Relative Importance of Different Types of Irrational Belief

In two studies, one correlational (N = 158) and one experimental (N = 128), using college students, it was found that Need for Achievement, Need for Approval and Self-Downing were the most important irrational beliefs of the General Attitude and Belief Scale predicting unconditional self-acceptance. The Need for Comfort, Demand for Fairness and Other-Downing subscales were found to be less influential. The findings were discussed in terms of Ellis’ theoretical formulation of four higher-order types of irrational belief processes (demandingness, awfulizing, low-frustration tolerance and self-downing), empirical research on different irrational belief themes, the distinction between ego disturbance and discomfort disturbance in REBT and the distinction between sociotropy and autonomy in different forms of depression.     

A test of the ABC model underlying rational emotive behavior therapy

The ABC model underlying Ellis's Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy predicts that people who think more irrationally should respond to daily stressors or hassles differently than do people who think less irrationally. This study tested this aspect of the ABC model. 192 college students were administered the Survey of Personal Beliefs and the Hassles Scale to measure irrational thinking and daily hassles, respectively. Students who scored higher on overall irrational thinking reported a significantly higher frequency of hassles than did those who scored lower on overall irrational thinking, while students who scored higher on awfulizing and low frustration tolerance reported a significantly greater intensity of hassles than did those who scored lower on awfulizing and low frustration tolerance. This indicates support for the ABC model, especially Ellis's construct of irrational beliefs central to this model.     

Dimensions of Perfectionism, Unconditional Self-Acceptance, and Depression

The current research investigated the associations among dimensions of perfectionism, unconditional self-acceptance, and self-reported depression. A sample of 94 students completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Unconditional Self-Acceptance Questionnaire, and a self-report depression measure. Correlational results indicated that all three trait dimensions of perfectionism (i.e., self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed perfectionism) were associated negatively with unconditional self-acceptance. Also, as expected, depression was associated with relatively low unconditional self-acceptance. Finally, a path analysis revealed that unconditional self-acceptance mediated the association between socially prescribed perfectionism and depression, and other-oriented perfectionism was found to affect depression only indirectly through its association with low levels of self-acceptance. The findings indicate that perfectionists evaluate themselves in terms of a contingent sense of self-worth, and as such, they are vulnerable to psychological distress when they experience negative events that do not affirm their self-worth.     

理性情绪教育对提高学生心理健康的作用研究

目的:探讨理性情绪教育在提升学生自我概念,增进情绪稳定性,促进心理健康方面的有效性.方法:选取丽水市花园中学初二年级学生92人(实验班46人,对照班46人),对实验班进行一个学期(18周)的理性情绪教育,对照班不接受理性情绪教育.用自行设计的理情教育教材对实验班学生进行每周一课时的干预.最后用SCL-90量表、田纳西自我概念量表和艾森克情绪稳定性量表进行评定.结果:理性情绪教育对提升学生的自我概念、情绪稳定性和增进学生心理健康方面有良好的促进作用;理性情绪教育十分适合成长中青少年的需要.     

Irrational beliefs and unconditional self-acceptance. I. Correlational evidence linking two key features of REBT

In a study with 102 non-clinical adults, relationships between measures of irrational beliefs, unconditional self-acceptance, self-esteem and the Big-5 personality dimensions were investigated. As expected, unconditional self-acceptance was highly correlated with self-esteem. In line with key tenets of REBT, individuals who scored highly on unconditional self-acceptance scored low on irrational beliefs even after self-esteem had been partialled out. Unconditional self-acceptance was found to be significantly (negatively) correlated with Neuroticism but not with other Big-5 personality dimensions. Irrational beliefs were found to correlate positively with Neuroticism and negatively with Openness. Factor analysis of the unconditional self-acceptance scale did not show a simple one-dimensional structure. A revised version of the scale comprising those items that did not load on a self-esteem factor produced a purer measure of unconditional self-acceptance that did not correlate significantly with self-esteem. The findings have implications for investigating unconditional self-acceptance in studies of therapeutic outcome.     

Dimensions of perfectionism and constructive thinking as a coping response

The present study examined perfectionism and general coping ability as assessed by a new measure of constructive thinking. A sample of 77 students completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS) and the Constructive Thinking Inventory (CTI). The MPS provides measures of selforiented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed perfectionism, while the CTI provides various measures, including summary scores of global constructive thinking, emotional coping, behavioral coping, categorical thinking, personal superstitious thinking, naive optimism, and esoteric thinking. Subjects also completed a measure of depressive symptoms so that we could examine perfectionism and coping independent of current levels of adjustment. The main finding was that socially prescribed perfectionism was associated with less constructive thinking and more negative coping across most of the CTI subscales, and these associations remained significant after removing variance due to levels of depression symptoms. Self-oriented perfectionism was adaptive in that it was associated with active forms of behavioral coping, but it was maladaptive in that it was associated with a form of emotional coping involving reduced self-acceptance. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the cognitive treatment of perfectionists. Queen's University This research was supported by grant #410-91-0856 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada awarded to the authors     

Use of the Survey of Personal Beliefs Scale: Further validation of a measure of irrational beliefs with psychiatric inpatients

Development of valid instruments for measuring underlying irrational beliefs is necessary for ongoing research of Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET). This study was designed to further evaluate the validity of one such measure, the Survey of Personal Beliefs (SPB). Adult psychiatric inpatients completed the SPB and measures of depression, hopelessness, and anxiety, as well as a conceptually similar measure of irrational thinking, the Belief Scale. It was predicted that if construct validity exists for the SPB then a significant correlation would exist between irrational beliefs as measured by the SPB and depression, hopelessness, and anxiety. It was also predicted that if the scale has construct validity, then patients being treated with RET would demonstrate a greater reduction in irrational thinking based on SPB scores than would inpatients receiving treatment not based on RET. To evaluate for discriminate validity, it was predicted that the SPB would correlate more highly with a conceptually similar measure of irrational thinking than with measures of depression, hopelessness, and anxiety. The findings of this study offer support for the validity of the SPB. Additional and unexpected findings as well as recommendations are discussed.Dr. Nottingham is an Associate Fellow and Approved Supervisor of the Institute for Rational-Emotive Therapy. He is in independent practice with Germantown Psychological Associates, P.C. and is Director of Psychology and Clinical Director of Adult Mental Health Services at Parkwood Hospital, Olive Branch, MS.I would like to thank Ivey Bright, Brad Barris, and Dee Conrad for their assistance in data collection. Additionally, without the assistance and support of the Parkwood Hospital administration and staff, this research could not have been completed.     

Effects of rational emotive education on the rationality, neuroticism and defense mechanisms of adolescents

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of rational emotive education (REE) as a mental health prevention program for adolescents. The subjects included 109 eleventh- and twelfth-grade students enrolled in four introductory psychology courses, and who were divided into experimental and control classes. Experimental subjects received 12 biweekly sessions of REE. Subjects were pre- and posttested on three measures of psychosocial adaptation: the Rational Behavior Inventory (RBI), the Defense Mechanism Inventory (DMI), and the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI). The effects of REE upon behavior were also examined by comparing academic effort grades, number of detentions, and grade point averages. Overall results showed significant positive changes in use of more adaptive defense mechanisms and in academic effort grades in the predicted direction. No significant changes occurred on the other measures. However, as a distinctive group, 17-year-olds demonstrated a significant reduction in neuroticism scores and a significant increase in academic effort grades.     

The Relationship Between Automatic Thoughts and Irrational Beliefs Predicting Anxiety and Depression

Cognitive behavioral approaches differ in their views on core cognitions and their hypothesized role in the etiology of depression and anxiety. The present study provides empirical evidence regarding the relationship between irrational beliefs and components of automatic thoughts and their role in the etiology of depression and anxiety. The present study utilized newer and improved questionnaires to assess components of irrational belief. Based on prior research by Safren et al. (Cogn Ther Res 24(3):327–344, 2000), a three-factor structure of the combined automatic thought questionnaires were utilized to measure components of automatic thoughts as they relate to depression and anxiety. Factor analytical methods were utilized to confirm the factor structure of the irrational beliefs and automatic thoughts components. Advanced path modeling was utilized to model the relationship between irrational beliefs and automatic thoughts in predicting anxiety and depression. The study used a sample of N = 542 undergraduate psychology students during stressful exam times. Results indicated that the irrational belief Demandingness represents a primary factor, followed by the secondary irrational beliefs as proposed by Rational Emotive Behavioral Theory. Selfdowning beliefs were fully mediated by depressive automatic thoughts in the case of depressive affect. Low frustration tolerance contributed unique variance to anxious and depressive affect that was not fully mediated by automatic thoughts. Results from the present study add empirical evidence that irrational beliefs indeed represent core and intermediary beliefs that lead to specific automatic thoughts, which is congruent with cognitive behavioral theory as proposed by Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy.     

RATIONAL EMOTIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY AND THE MINDFULNESS BASED STRESS REDUCTION TRAINING OF JON KABAT-ZINN

Important aspects of Kabat-Zinn’s mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) are compared, point-by-point, with Albert Ellis’ Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). There are some significant differences, since REBT does not advocate meditation as part of the therapy, and MBSR does not include disputing of irrational beliefs. But the similarities are even more striking, especially in the stress on self-acceptance, and in not judging people overall.