Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable Action occurs and you Believe some unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption and not the occurrence itself that causes an unpleasant Consequence.
For context, a belief is a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing, and something that is accepted, considered to be true, or held as an opinion. Noteworthy, not all beliefs are true—remaining in accordance with the actual state of affairs.
Thus, when using the ABC model, I find it worthwhile to explore whether or not one’s beliefs are based in fact—something that has actual existence, and a piece of information presented as having objective reality. Perhaps an example is in order to illustrate this point.
Suppose that I have confidence in the truthfulness of a claim regarding a lucky coin. In this hypothetical example, I believe that by carrying this piece of metallic money everywhere I go I’m granted good fortune. Using a syllogism to demonstrate this belief, consider the following:
Form (hypothetical) –
If p, then q; if q, then r; therefore, if p, then r.
Example –
If I carry my lucky coin, then I’ll be granted good fortune. If I’ll be granted good fortune, then my metallic piece of currency is the reason for my success. Therefore, if I carry my lucky coin, then my metallic piece of currency is the reason for my success.
This belief is irrational—that which isn’t in accordance with both logic and reason. Although it follows logical form (hypothetical syllogism), justification (reason) for the belief isn’t based in fact. This is because there’s no evidence for luck—a force that brings good fortune or adversity.
Understandably, many people believe that the events or circumstances which operate for or against them are guided by the force of luck, though such a claim is unfalsifiable—not capable of being proved false—because luck cannot be quantified or measured in any scientific manner.
“Ahh, but you’re wrong, Deric,” you may contend, “because love is real and it can’t be evaluated scientifically.” I admit that not everything in existence is subject to the rigors of science. Therefore, I fully admit that there may be some unfalsifiable force known as luck.
Nevertheless, I live in the naturalistic world and behave accordingly. If I accidentally slice my finger with a knife (Action) and as a result my finger begins to bleed (Consequence), I acknowledge that this Action-Consequence (A-C) connection is a valid and reliable fact.
However, in one’s own psychological experience, a Belief-Consequence (B-C) connection is what plays a causal role in self-disturbance—the manner in which people upset themselves when using irrational beliefs. There’s an important distinction to be made with A-C and B-C outcomes.
For instance, imagine that I sliced my finger and it bled (A-C) when not maintaining a lucky coin in my pocket. I then irrationally believed, “I shouldn’t be harmed and it’s because I didn’t have my lucky coin on me that this awful experience happened!”
With that unhelpful belief, I then become sad (B-C). The knife slicing into my skin caused bleeding (A-C) and what I told myself about the event caused sorrow (B-C). Nowhere in these connections did a coin actually play a role, other than within my mind.
Thus, without evidence to the contrary, it isn’t factual (restricted to or based on fact) to assume that a lucky piece of metallic money had anything to do with my experience. This is the point at which people tend to use beliefs which are counterfactual—contrary to fact.
“But Deric,” you may insist, “if you had maintained your lucky coin in your pocket, then you never would’ve sliced your finger in the first place.” This is a counterfactual conditional—a belief representing what would’ve been true under different circumstances.
How do you know that I certainly wouldn’t have sliced my finger if I had my lucky coin? Could it have been possible that slicing my finger may also have occurred when carrying the piece of metallic money? Does a lucky coin guarantee safety, prosperity, and success?
In this example, you’re using a hypothesis—an assumption or concession made for the sake of argument. Worth knowing, a hypothesis can be disproven, or even eliminated, but it can never be proven. Therefore, I’ll never be able to prove that what you’re proposed is true.
This is where factual versus counterfactual beliefs can be a tricky matter. In REBT, Disputation of irrational assumptions is used in order to explore Effective new beliefs. However, quite often, people simply refuse to abandon beliefs which aren’t factual in nature.
If you genuinely believe (1) there’s such a force in existence as luck, (2) lucky coins provide safety from injury, and (3) any elimination of your hypothesis is mere speculation (the act of reviewing something idly or casually and often inconclusively), then you may not be convinced otherwise.
You believe the aforementioned three points and nothing I can say will convince you otherwise. Therefore, you’ve wed yourself to a disprovable hypothesis that’s altogether unfalsifiable when you reject evidence to the contrary. In short, you’ve chosen to believe in an untrue assumption.
When this occurs in REBT, I generally forego any further attempt to use an empirical dispute of the belief—assessing the truth or false merits of a proposed assumption. Rather, I opt for the elegant solution—granting that one’s propositional belief is correct and then assessing its utility.
“Suppose that it’s true,” I may say, “that the reason I accidentally sliced open my finger is due to not having had my lucky coin. Okay, then what?” You may then respond, “Well, you should always have your lucky coin on you.”
Here, you may be using an absolutistic should statement which is rigid and prescriptive in nature or a recommendatory should statement which is flexible and suggestive in nature. The former is a self-disturbing component while the latter isn’t.
“What am I to do, keep the coin on me even when showering and I have no pockets in which to place the piece of metallic money?” I may ask. “In that case, you can keep it near you,” you could respond. “And if I don’t absolutely follow this prescription to life?” I’d ask.
“Then you may slip and fall in the shower, which wouldn’t be pleasant,” you’d likely reply. In this example, your imagined response is flexible, because you consider alternatives. While I may not believe that your suggestion is factually-based, it isn’t worth disputing your irrational belief.
After all, you’d simply use an unfalsifiable counterfactual belief anyway. Thus, in the interest of an un-harmful and flexible assumption that doesn’t necessarily impact my life in any meaningful way, I could concede your point, thank you for the recommendation, and carry on with my day.
This is the manner in which I tolerate and accept beliefs which are antithetical to my own. As an example, I reject the ideology of feminism. Inspired by the tenets of this belief system, I think that the feminist movement has been a net negative for society.
All the same, I recognize that people are fallible by nature and that not everyone absolutistically must believe as I do. Further, granting that the claims of feminism are true, how do these principles serve my interests and goals? They don’t. Therefore, I simply carry on with my day.
This is also how I behave in regard to sociopolitical, religious, spiritual, and other matters which conflict with what I maintain is factual. Likewise, I remind myself of irrationality pertaining to counterfactuals. In this way, I can challenge beliefs, adjust accordingly, or merely ignore them.
If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
Photo credit (edited), fair use
References:
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