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Assessment and cognitive-behavioral interventions

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Abstract

The use of methods for assessing cognitions is crucial for the development of cognitive-behavioral therapies. Seven approaches to assessing cognitions are described and discussed: in vivo thought sampling, and the assessment of imagery, cognitive style, beliefs, attributions, self-efficacy expectations, and self-statements. Emphasis is placed upon a description of the assessment methods, a consideration of their role in the validation of cognitive explanations of emotional disorders, and a call for the verification of the effects of cognitive treatments upon cognitions. Discussion also considers the overlap among the various approaches to cognitive assessment and the question of the accessibility of cognitive information.

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Reference Notes

  • Barta, S., Klinger, E., & Mahoney, T.Personally relevant right-ear cues enhance right-handed people's cognitive processing. Paper presented at the Psychonomic Society, Washington, D.C., November 1977.

  • Kendall, P. C., & Finch, A. J., Jr.A cognitive-behavioral treatment for impulsivity: Analyses of verbal behavior and hyperactivity ratings. Manuscript submitted for publication, 1978.

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  • Hollon, S. D., & Kendall, P. C.Cognitive self-statements in depression: Development of an automatic thoughts questionnaire. Manuscript submitted for publication, 1978.

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The categories of the present review are illustrative rather than exhaustive.

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Kendall, P.C., Korgeski, G.P. Assessment and cognitive-behavioral interventions. Cogn Ther Res 3, 1–21 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01172715

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