Investigated the effects of rational vs. irrational belief systems (as measured by the Ellis Irrational Values Scale) and rational vs. irrational self‐verbalizations on levels of anxiety and persistence on a performance task. Ss (N = 40) were instructed to assemble a virtually insolvable task call Soma. The variables of interest were how long each S would persist on this task and how much anxiety (as measured by the A‐State portion of the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory) was aroused in working on this task. Following a baseline trial trying to solve Soma, Ss were assigned to either a rational or irrational self‐talk condition and were led to believe that such self‐talk would help in a second attempt to solve Soma. In line with cognitive models of psychology, it was found that rational self‐talk Ss showed a significant decrease in levels of state anxiety compared to irrational self‐talk Ss in attempting to solve Soma in the second trial. Contrary to cognitive models of psychology, scores obtained from the EIVS and the A‐Trait portion of the STAI were not found to be related to persistence.
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