The __________ approach to personality is the basis of RET therapy: A=activating event, B=belief system, C=consequences.

• A. A-B-C Model
• B. Behavioral Model
• C. Humanistic Model
• D. Social-Cognitive Model

Answer: (A)

This item tests how Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) explains personality in terms of cognitive processing—how a situation leads to emotional and behavioral outcomes through beliefs. In RET, the sequence is Activating event, Belief system, Consequences, captured by the A-B-C Model. It’s a cognitive-behavioral framework because it centers on how internal beliefs mediate the impact of events on feelings and actions, rather than the event alone driving reaction. For example, missing a deadline (activating event) can trigger the belief “I must always be perfect,” which then leads to anxiety or avoidance (consequences). The power of this model is that changing the belief—challenging and disputing irrational or maladaptive beliefs—can alter the resulting emotions and behaviors, which is the core of RET intervention. The behavioral model would focus mainly on external actions and reinforcement, the humanistic model on self-actualization and personal meaning, and the social-cognitive model on expected outcomes and self-efficacy, rather than the straightforward A-B-C sequence RET emphasizes.