Arbitrary inferences are the distorted view of making conclusions without supporting evidence; part of Aaron Beck's cognitive therapy.

• A. Automatic Thoughts
• B. Arbitrary inferences
• C. Cognitive Homework
• D. Cognitive Errors

Answer: (B)

In Beck’s cognitive therapy, distortions are systematic errors in reasoning. Arbitrary inferences are a specific type of distortion where you draw conclusions without enough evidence, often jumping to a negative conclusion from limited data. This is exactly what the description is pointing to: making conclusions without supporting evidence. That specific label—arbitrary inferences—captures the idea precisely.

Automatic thoughts are the immediate, quick mental events you have in response to something; they’re the mental surface, not the particular distortional pattern. Cognitive homework is the practice tasks therapists give to test beliefs and reframe thinking, not a distortion itself. Cognitive errors is a broader umbrella term that can include many kinds of distortions, not the precise label described here.