The ABC Model

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The ABC Model

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The ABC Model

A = Activating Event
B = Belief (Thought)
C = Consequences (Emotional and or Behavioural)

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Example of the ABC Model:

Activating Event: I email a friend to suggest we meet in the evening. The evening
comes and she has not responded

Belief: She is usually reliable. I must have offended her so she’s ignored my email

Consequences Emotional: I feel anxious

Consequences, Behaviour: I decide not to do anything in case I offend her further


and I just wait to hear from her

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The ABC Model (Example)
C C
A B
Consequences Consequences
Activating Event Belief (Thought)
Emotion Behaviour

I email a friend to suggest we


She is usually reliable. I must I decide not to do anything in
meet in the evening. The
have offended her so she’s I feel anxious case I offend her further and I
evening comes and she has
ignored my email just wait to hear from her
not responded

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Dispute your belief, by questioning it and considering alternatives:
Questioning Your Beliefs in a Reasonable Way

CBT is not about ignoring negative thoughts or necessarily jumping to the opposite conclusion, it is
concerned with evaluating thoughts in a reasonable and practical way. If there is some truth in your
beliefs, you can acknowledge it, but recognise where you are exaggerating or being inflexible, and
moderate your view accordingly.

Having identified your negative belief, use the “Disputation Checklist” which you can go through to
help you evaluate your belief in a reasonable way. It is not supposed to be an exhaustive checklist
but offers examples of the kind of questions which may help you to think more realistically if you are
prone to making irrational assumptions or to holding negative beliefs which may not be warranted.

On the next page I set out the 11 questions in the disputation checklist in the context of the ABC
Model. Let’s see how one might use the checklist to evaluate the belief in that example.

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Disputation Checklist (Example)
Q No Questions for evaluating any beliefs Considered Response

I haven’t received a response from my friend to my email


1 What evidence is there to support my belief? invitation which is unusual because she is normally
reliable
I can’t think of anything Iv’e done that might have
2 What evidence is there to cast doubt on it? caused offence and my friend doesn’t normally react by
ignoring me if we do have a disagreement

The email may not have got through or she may not
have opened it yet. Perhaps she is not in her office for
What alternative possibilities are there and what
3 evidence is there to suggest they might be true?
some reason today so has not seen the email.
She might have meant to respond but got distracted by
something else and forgotten
I can see that although my explanation is possible, it is a
4 Is my belief balanced or is it too extreme or inflexible? bit extreme and dogmatic. There are other possible
explanations which are at least as likely

The belief isn’t very helpful because it causes me


Is the belief helpful? What problems are caused by me anxiety and I have reacted by putting off contacting my
5 believing it? friend again because of my worry

It matters in that I don’t want to cause offence to my


6 If my belief is true, how much does it matter? friend, but it‟s not the end of the world. If I ring her
there‟s a good chance we can sort it out
Disputation Checklist (Example) Continued
Q No Questions for evaluating any beliefs Considered Response

7 What could I do to check out if my belief is true? I could call my friend or ask her when I next speak to her

If my belief is true what is the most constructive way I Try and find out what upset her and apologise if
8 could react? appropriate

I would tell them: “It’s unlikely she’s ignoring you


What would I say to a friend who described a similar because she’s not like that and you can’t think of
9 situation, expressed a similar belief about what it meant? anything that you’ve done that might have upset her, but
if she is upset then the best thing is to try to find out why
and see if you can resolve the problem.”

What would a supportive friend say to me if I described


They’d probably say something similar to 9. above!
10 the situation and told them my belief about it?

Yes – it’s too extreme to say my belief must be true. I


Would a more moderate or tentative interpretation be could reframe the belief with a balancing thought. It’s
more accurate? What might a more accurate/moderate possible my friend thinks I’ve offended her but there’s
11 belief or a balancing thought be? other possibilities and it’s unlike her to react that way.
Even if it’s true there’s no point in worrying about it, I’ll
ring her tomorrow and apologise if Iv’e offended her.
Complete the ABC Model analysis, whenever a situation arises where you are
experiencing anxious, negative thoughts.

Alternatively complete the ABC Model analysis in respect of a typical situation where
you know you might experience negative beliefs and feelings, to give yourself an idea
of how you might try to balance your thoughts if the situation arises again.

Use the Disputation Checklist to help you evaluate the belief(s) you write down in your
ABC analysis. Then come up with a potential balancing thought (your considered
response to Q.11 in the Disputation Checklist).

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The ABC Model
C C
A B
Consequences Consequences
Activating Event Belief (Thought)
Emotion Behaviour

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Disputation Checklist
Q No Questions for evaluating any beliefs Considered Response

1 What evidence is there to support my belief?

2 What evidence is there to cast doubt on it?

What alternative possibilities are there and what


3 evidence is there to suggest they might be true?

4 Is my belief balanced or is it too extreme or inflexible?

Is the belief helpful? What problems are caused by me


5 believing it?

6 If my belief is true, how much does it matter?


Disputation Checklist Continued
Q No Questions for evaluating any beliefs Considered Response

7 What could I do to check out if my belief is true?

If my belief is true what is the most constructive way I


8 could react?

What would I say to a friend who described a similar


9 situation, expressed a similar belief about what it meant?

What would a supportive friend say to me if I described


10 the situation and told them my belief about it?

Would a more moderate or tentative interpretation be


more accurate? What might a more accurate/moderate
11 belief or a balancing thought be?

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