Rational Emotive therapy includes the following steps:
A. Behaviour analysis is done to find malfunctioning behaviour.
B. Antecedent, belief, consequence analysis
C. Repeated association of undesired response with aversive consequences
D. Client is interviewed to find the irrational belief.
E. Irrational beliefs are refuted through the process of non-directive questioning.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → B, D, E only
Rational Emotive Therapy (RET), formulated by Albert Ellis, holds that irrational beliefs mediate between the antecedent events and their consequences.
A. Behaviour analysis is done to find malfunctioning behaviour. Incorrect. Behavioural analysis to find malfunctioning behaviours, their antecedents and maintaining factors is the first step of behaviour therapy, not of RET, which works on beliefs.
B. Antecedent, belief, consequence analysis Correct. The first step in RET is the antecedent-belief-consequence (ABC) analysis: the antecedent events that caused the distress are noted, and the distorted perception of the event due to an irrational belief is traced to its consequence, negative emotions and behaviours.
C. Repeated association of undesired response with aversive consequences Incorrect. This is the definition of aversive conditioning, a behaviour modification technique, as when an alcoholic is given a mild electric shock while smelling alcohol.
D. Client is interviewed to find the irrational belief. Correct. In RET the client is also interviewed to find the irrational beliefs that are distorting the present reality, beliefs full of ‘musts’ and ‘shoulds’.
E. Irrational beliefs are refuted through the process of non-directive questioning. Correct. The therapist refutes the irrational beliefs through non-directive questioning, which is gentle, without probing or being directive, and makes the client think deeper into her/his assumptions.
NCERT (2025-26): “Cognitive Therapy … Albert Ellis formulated the Rational Emotive Therapy (RET). The central thesis of this therapy is that irrational beliefs mediate between the antecedent events and their consequences. The first step in RET is the antecedent-belief-consequence (ABC) analysis. Antecedent events, which caused the psychological distress, are noted. The client is also interviewed to find the irrational beliefs, which are distorting the present reality. Irrational beliefs may not be supported by empirical evidence in the environment. These beliefs are characterised by thoughts with ‘musts’ and ‘shoulds’, i.e. things ‘must’ and ‘should’ be in a particular manner. Examples of irrational beliefs are, ‘One should be loved by everybody all the time’, ‘Human misery is caused by external events over which one does not have any control’, etc. This distorted perception of the antecedent event due to the irrational belief leads to the consequence, i.e. negative emotions and behaviours. Irrational beliefs are assessed through questionnaires and interviews. In the process of RET, the irrational beliefs are refuted by the therapist through a process of non-directive questioning. The nature of questioning is gentle, without probing or being directive. The questions make the client to think deeper into her/his assumptions about life and problems.…” “Behaviour Therapy … Behavioural analysis is conducted to find malfunctioning behaviours, the antecedents of faulty learning, and the factors that maintain or continue faulty learning. Malfunctioning behaviours are those behaviours which cause distress to the client. Antecedent factors are those causes which predispose the person to indulge in that behaviour. Maintaining factors are those factors which lead to the persistence of the faulty behaviour.…” “Behaviour Therapy … Aversive conditioning refers to repeated association of undesired response with an aversive consequence. For example, an alcoholic is given a mild electric shock and asked to smell the alcohol. With repeated pairings the smell of alcohol is aversive as the pain of the shock is associated with it and the person will give up alcohol.…” |