In Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy developed by Albert Ellis, a patient fails an examination and concludes 'I am a complete failure.' In the ABC framework, what does the letter B represent?
- A The behavioural consequence of withdrawal from studies
- B The behaviour of avoiding further examinations
- C The belief that failing the exam means he is a total failure ✓
- D The biological predisposition to depressive thinking
Correct answer: C. The belief that failing the exam means he is a total failure
Explanation
In Ellis's ABC model, C is the activating event (failing the exam), B is the irrational belief ('I am a total failure'), and A is the emotional and behavioural consequence (despair, avoidance). Therapy disputes the belief at D and substitutes an effective new philosophy at E. Options B and A describe consequences rather than beliefs, which is the commonest error students make with this framework.
Reference: Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry, 12th ed.
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