Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Another Search for the “Hot” Cognitions: Appraisal, Irrational Beliefs, Attributions, and Their Relation to Emotion

  • Published:
Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

One study examined the hypothesized status of appraisal and irrational beliefs relative to attributions, as proximal antecedents of emotion. In our study, which looked at 4 pairs of functional and dysfunctional negative emotions (i.e., concern/anxiety, sadness/depression, remorse/guilt, annoyance/anger), undergraduates (N = 120) reported on their attributions, appraisal, irrational beliefs, and emotions during past encounters associated with various negative events. Congruent with both Smith and Lazarus' (1993) appraisal theory and Ellis' (1994) cognitive theory of emotion, the results of this study indicate that the emotions (both functional and dysfunctional negative emotions) were more directly associated with appraisal and with irrational beliefs (dysfunctional negative emotions only) than they were with attributions. Also, irrational beliefs were strongly associated with appraisal; while demandingness (DEM) was associated more with primary appraisal, awfulizing/catastrophizing, low frustration tolerance, and global evaluation of human worth (including self-downing) were associated more with secondary appraisal. Dysfunctional emotions seem to involve primary appraisal associated with DEM while functional emotions involve primary appraisal associated with preferences. These findings lend to support the status of appraisal and irrational beliefs as the proximal cognitive antecedents of emotion and the status of irrational beliefs as a differencing factor between functional and dysfunctional emotions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Abelson, R. P., & Rosenberg, M. J. (1958). Symbolic psycho-logic: A model of attitudinal cognition. Behavioral Science, 3, 1-13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173-1182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernard, M. E. (1998). Validation of the general attitude and beliefs scale. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 16, 183-196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bond, F. W., & Dryden, W. (1996). Testing an REBT theory: The effects of rational beliefs, irrational beliefs, and their control or certainty contents on the functionality of interference-II. In a personal context. International Journal of Psychotherapy, 1, 55-77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cannon, W. B. (1927). The James-Lange theory of emotions: a critical examination and an alternative theory. American Journal of Psychology, 39, 106-124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cash, T. F., Rimm, D. C., & MacKinnon, R. (1986). Rational-irrational beliefs and the effects of the Velten Mood Induction Procedure. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 10, 461-467.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang, E. C. (1997). Irrational beliefs and negative life stress: Testing a diathesis-stress model of depressive symptoms. Personality and Individual Differences, 22, 115-117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cramer, D., & Fong, J. (1991). Effect of rational and irrational beliefs on intensity and “inappropriateness” of feelings: A test of rational-emotive theory. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 15, 319-329.

    Google Scholar 

  • David, D. (2000). Unconscious information processing. Cluj-Napoca, Dacia Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • David, D. (in press). Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy; The view of a cognitive psychologist. In W. Dryden (Ed.), Theoretical developments in REBT, London, Brunner/Routledge.

  • Denoff, M. S. (1991). Irrational beliefs, situational attributions, and the coping responses of adolescent runaways. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 9, 113-135.

    Google Scholar 

  • DiGiuseppe, R. (1996). The nature of irrational and rational beliefs: progress in rational emotive behavior theory. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 4, 5-28.

    Google Scholar 

  • DiGiuseppe, R. (2001). Insight versus rehearsal in the development of new rational beliefs. Paper presented at The International Conference of REBT, Colorado, USA.

  • DiGiuseppe, R., Leaf, R., Exner, T., & Robin, M. (1988). The development of a measure of irrational/rational thinking. Paper presented at the World Congress of Behavior Therapy, Edinburg, Scotland.

  • Ekman, P. (1992). An argument for basic emotions. Cognition and Emotion, 6, 169-200.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, A. (1962). Reason and emotion in psychotherapy. New York: Stuart.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, A. (1994). Reason and emotion in psychotherapy (re. ed.). Secaucus, NJ: Birch Lane.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, A., & Dryden, W. (1997). The practice of rational emotive behavior therapy. New York, NY, US: Springer Publishing Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, A., & Harper, R. A. (1975). A new guide to rational living. North Hollywood, CA: Wilshire.

    Google Scholar 

  • Engels, G. I., Garnefsky, N., & Diekstra, R. F. W. (1993). Efficacy of Rational-Emotive Therapy; A quantitative analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61, 1083-1091.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fiske, S. T. (1993). Social cognition and social perception. Annual Review of Psychology, 44, 155-194.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fiske, S. T. & Taylor, S. E. (1991). Social Cognition, New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Folkman, S., & Lazarus, R. (1988). Coping as a mediator of emotion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 466-475.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harran, S. M., & Ziegler, D. J. (1991). Cognitive appraisal hassles in college students displaying high or low irrational beliefs. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 9, 265-271.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heppner, P.P., Reeder, B. L., & Larson, L. M. (1983). Cognitive variables associated with personal problem-solving appraisal: Implications for counseling. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 30, 537-545.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kassinove, H., Eckhardt, C., Endes, R. (1993). Assessing the intensity of “appropriate” and “inappropriate” emotions in rational-emotional therapy. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: International Quarterly, 7, 227-239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kombos, N. A., Foumet, G. P., & Estes, R. E. (1989). Effects of irrationality on a trail making performance task. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 68, 591-598.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. S. (1968). Emotions and adaptation: conceptual and empirical relations. In W. J. Arnold (Ed.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, 16, 175-266. Lincoln: Nebraska University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. S. (1991). Emotion and adaptation. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. S. (1995). Cognition and emotion from the RET viewpoint. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 13, 29-54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. S. (2001). Toward better research on stress and coping. American Psychologist, 55, 665-674.

    Google Scholar 

  • LeDoux, J. E. (1996). The emotional brain: The mysterious underpinnings of emotional life. New York, US: Simon and Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leventhal, H., & Tomarken, A. (1986). Emotion: today's problem. Annual Review of Psychology, 37, 565-610.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malouff, J. M., Schutte, N. S., & McClelland, T. (1992). Examination of the relationship between irrational beliefs and state anxiety. Personality and Individual Differences, 13, 451-456.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandler, G. (1975). Mind and Emotion, New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Master, S., & Gershman, L. (1983). Physiological responses to rational-emotive self-verbalizations. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 14, 289-296.

    Google Scholar 

  • McDermut, J. F., Haaga, A. A. F., & Bilek, L. A. (1997). Cognitive bias and irrational beliefs in major depression and dysphoria. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 21, 459-476.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schachter, S., & Singer, J. E. (1962). Cognitive, social, and physiological determinants of emotional state. Psychological Review, 69, 379-399.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schachter, S., & Singer, J. E. (1979). Comments on the Maslach and Marshall-Zimbarbo experiments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 989-995.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinclair, R. C., Hoffman, C., Mark, M., Martin, L., & Pickering, T. (1994). Construct Accessibility and the Misattribution of Arousal: Schachter and Singer Revisited. Psychological Science, 5, 123-132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, C. A., Haynes, K. N., Lazarus, R. S., & Pope, L. K. (1993). In search of the “hot” cognitions: Attributions, appraisals and their relation to emotion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 916-929.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, C. A., & Lazarus, R. (1993). Appraisal components, core relational theme, and the emotions. Cognition and Emotion, 7, 233-269.

    Google Scholar 

  • Still, A. (2001). Marginalisation is not unbearable. Is it even undesirable? Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 19, 55-66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tobacyk, J. J., & Downs, A. (1986). Personal construct threat and irrational beliefs as cognitive predictors of increases in musical performance anxiety. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 779-782.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walen, S. R., DiGiuseppe, R., & Dryden, W. (1992). A practitioner's guide to rational-emotive therapy (2nd ed.). New York, NY, US: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiner, B. (1985). An attributional theory of motivation and emotion. New York: Springer-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ziegler, D. J. (2001). The possible place of cognitive appraisal in the ABC model underlying Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 19, 137-152.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, Babes-Bolyai University, Romania

    Daniel David

  2. Department of Psychology and, Center for Cognitive and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, No. 37, Gh. Bilascu Street, 3400, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania

    Daniel David

  3. St. John's University, New York

    Julie Schnur

  4. Romanian Association of Hypnosis and Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy, Romania

    Alexandra Belloiu

Authors
  1. Daniel David
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Julie Schnur
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alexandra Belloiu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

David, D., Schnur, J. & Belloiu, A. Another Search for the “Hot” Cognitions: Appraisal, Irrational Beliefs, Attributions, and Their Relation to Emotion. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy 20, 93–131 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1019876601693

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1019876601693

Search

Navigation