Scaling - Testing Your Assumptions

Beck’s cognitive model identifies three levels of cognition (Beck, 2011):

• At the top level are automatic thoughts. These thoughts arise automatically and involuntarily, usually in the form of internal statements or mental images. While people are often aware of their emotional responses, they are generally less conscious of the thoughts associated with them.
• At the intermediate level are underlying assumptions. Assumptions (also known as intermediate beliefs, associated beliefs, conditional assumptions, or rules for living) develop in response to core beliefs and how understand their experiences, and vary in their accuracy and functionality (Beck, 2011). Dysfunctional assumptions are usually rigid and overgeneralized, and describe problematic behavioral strategies related to negative core beliefs (Kennerley et al., 2017). Many dysfunctional assumptions can be phrased as conditional “if… then…” statements (e.g., “If I gain weight, then I am worthless - so I should strive to be thin”) (Beck et al., 1986; Beck, 2005).

Step 1: Assumption

Help the client articulate their dysfunctional assumption by phrasing it as an “if… then…” statement, which will help clarify the interconnected beliefs it contains. For example, you could ask: 

"Most rules and assumptions contain two connected ideas that could be phrased as an “if… then…” statement. For example, someone might hold the assumption, “If I am kind to others, then they will be kind to me”. What is the “if… then…” assumption you hold about this issue?"

Many clients have never verbalized their assumptions, so they may need help putting them into words. Strategies for expressing dysfunctional assumptions include (Beck, 2011):

• Providing the first half of the assumption so the client can complete the rest (e.g., “If a task is easy to do, then…? Can you finish that sentence?”).
• The downward arrow technique (Burns, 1980. For instance, asking “If that thought was true, what would it

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• Beck, J. S. (2011). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
• Burns, D. D. (1980). Feel good: The new mood therapy. United Kingdom: Penguin Books.
• Dowd, E. T. (2002). History and recent developments in cognitive psychotherapy. In R. L. Leahy & E. T. Dowd (Eds.), Clinical advances in cognitive psychotherapy: Theory and application (pp. 15-28). Springer.
• Fennell, M. (2006). Overcoming low self-esteem self-help course: Part three: Changing the rules, creating a new bottom line, and looking to the future. Robinson.
• James, I. A., & Barton, S. (2004). Changing core