The Structure of Self-Related Core Beliefs

Abstract

Core beliefs are central variables for explaining, predicting, and modifying both clinical disorders and non-clinical experiences and behavior. Structural models of core beliefs define these core beliefs and explicating their number and relations. To date, the literature on the structure of core beliefs is scattered and disconnected, with approaches differing in scope and objective. In a systematic review, approaches across different fields are sighted. Published structural models of core beliefs as well as their operationalizations were included in the review. Additionally, in a substantive-methodological synergy using natural language processing and network models, previously proposed core beliefs are summarized in a hierarchical structural model, the CorBel model. According to a review of 1043 publications, 46 unique sources were revealed, proposing a total of 248 core beliefs. From these sources, 756 items could be obtained that were aggregated on different hierarchical levels, including nuances, facets, and high-bandwidth dimensions of domain and valence. The present research provides an integration of the scattered literature. The integrative CorBel model allows for a comprehensive, fine-grained analysis of individual core beliefs and a systematic analyses of core beliefs in research and applied settings such as counselling or health prevention.