In REBT, A is the ________, B is the ________, and C is the ________.

• A. Emotional consequence; Activating event; Belief system
• B. Belief system; Emotional consequence; Activating event
• C. Activating event; Belief system; Emotional consequence
• D. Activating event; Emotional consequence; Belief system

Answer: (C)

In REBT, how you feel is shaped by your interpretation of what happens, not by what happens itself. The trigger or initiating situation is the Activating event. The next piece is your Belief system—the thoughts, rules, and attitudes you apply to that event, including irrational beliefs that demand perfection or unconditional worth. Those beliefs determine the Emotional consequence—the feelings and behaviors that follow. For example, if you fail a test (Activating event) and think, “I must always perform perfectly; if I don’t, I’m worthless” (Belief system), you’re likely to feel intense anxiety or depression and respond with withdrawal or overcompensation (Emotional consequence). The correct mapping is Activating event, Belief system, Emotional consequence, which explains the pathway from trigger to belief to emotion.