Albert Ellis believed that insight into childhood events did not resolve present emotional dysfunction; the past–present connection in psychoanalytic theories was not fully explored. This describes which therapy?

• A. Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy
• B. Client-Centered Therapy
• C. Behavior Therapy
• D. Psychoanalytic Therapy

Answer: (A)

This item tests the idea that some therapies focus on present thinking and beliefs rather than digging into past experiences to explain current distress. Albert Ellis’s Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy holds that emotional dysfunction arises from irrational beliefs about events in the here and now, not from insights into childhood or unconscious conflicts. In REBT, the goal is to identify these irrational beliefs, actively dispute them, and replace them with more rational, adaptive ones, thereby changing emotional and behavioral responses. The approach is practical and present-oriented, often using the ABC model (Activating event, Beliefs, Consequences) to show how beliefs drive emotions, rather than exploring childhood causes. This contrasts with psychoanalytic therapy, which emphasizes uncovering early experiences and unconscious processes to explain present problems, a focus not central to REBT.