In REBT, the core of emotional disturbance is due to

• A. Unconscious conflicts
• B. External circumstances
• C. Irrational thinking
• D. Genetic predispositions

Answer: (C)

In REBT, emotional disturbance comes from the way a person interprets events, specifically irrational beliefs, rather than the events themselves. This idea is captured in the A-B-C pattern: an activating event triggers a belief, and the belief then produces the emotional and behavioral consequences. Because irrational beliefs—such as demandingness, awfulizing, or thinking one must always be perfect—lead to intense distress, they are what drive emotional trouble.

That’s why the correct answer is irrational thinking. External circumstances can be neutral in themselves, unconscious conflicts belong to psychodynamic theories, and genetic predispositions aren’t what REBT targets. For example, if you miss a deadline, an irrational thought might be, “I must be perfect, and failing makes me worthless,” which creates major anxiety. A more rational stance would be, “Missing the deadline is disappointing, but I can adjust and improve.”