Effect of rational and irrational statements on intensity and ‘inappropriateness' of emotional distress and irrational beliefs in psychotherapy patients

Abstract

Ellis's rational-emotive theory postulates that since irrational statements augment emotional distress, replacing irrational with rational statements should lessen distress. This hypothesis was tested in the initial stages of psychotherapy by having 13 and 14 clinical out-patients respectively repeat for one minute either rational or irrational statements about their major presenting psychological problem. The distinction by Ellis & Harper (1975) that 'inappropriate' emotions differ qualitatively from 'appropriate' emotions was also examined. Although the experimental intervention had no effect on a post-test measure of irrational beliefs, patients repeating rational statements had significantly lower appropriate and inappropriate negative emotions at post-test, suggesting that inappropriate emotions do not differ qualitatively from appropriate emotions and that making rational statements may lower emotional distress in patients. Patients reiterating irrational statements showed no change in emotions, implying that these kinds of irrational cognitions may have already been present.

Cognitive Treatment Through Positive Self-Verbalization: A Multiple Case Study

“…Cognitive therapists such as Ellis (1962;, Beck (1967;1970) and Meichenbaum (1974;1975) suggested that symptomatic behaviour can be influenced by covert verbalisations ('self-talk'). The impact of negative self-talk on performance anxiety and on depression has been confirmed in clinical research (Cramer & Kupshik, 1993;Huber & Mitchell Altmaier, 1983;Ingram, 1989;Missel & Sommer, 1983). A large number of studies shows that negative self-talk may also be operative in impairing the performance of creative tasks, problem solving skills and the control of fear (Meichenbaum, 1974;Meichenbaum & Cameron, 1974;Bonadies & Bass, 1984;Eifert & Lauterbach, 1987;Rosin & Nelson, 1983;Safran, 1982).…”

An empirical investigation of Albert Ellis's binary model of distress

“…That is, core irrational beliefs may have a different impact on functional and dysfunctional negative feelings than those that are rehearsed under the direction of an experimenter. It also has been noted that such rehearsal studies may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of study demand characteristics (Cramer & Kupshik, 1993).…”

“…A second set of experimental studies (Cramer & Fong, 1991;Cramer & Kupshik, 1993) used rehearsal of irrational beliefs to examine their impact on functional and dysfunctional negative feelings (as described by Ellis & Harper, 1975). These studies found that repeatedly rehearsing thoughts or reading sentences containing irrational beliefs increased both functional and dysfunctional negative feelings pertaining to imaginal stressful situations, consistent with a unitary distress model.…”

Effect of four aspects of rational statements on expected satisfaction with a close relationship

“…With this procedure participants reiterating rational statements have reported less distress than those verbalising irrational statements about a real (Cramer & Buckland, 1995;Cramer & Kupshik, 1993) or an imaginary potentially negative situation (Cramer & Fong, 1991). Participants repeating rational statements while imagining having a serious disagreement in a close relationship expressed greater expected satisfaction with that relationship than those repeating irrational statements (Cramer, 2004(Cramer, , 2005.…”