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Reductions in type a behavior, anxiety, anger, and physical illness as related to changes in irrational beliefs: Results of a demonstration project in industry

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Abstract

A series of stress management workshops was conducted in a Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET) format for an entire department in a large corporation (N=49). The population was rather general, i.e., nonstudent, nonclinical, and nonvolunteer. Measures were obtained before the program began and three to four months following completion on the “dependent” variables of Type A behavior, anxiety, anger, depression, assertiveness, and physical illness symptoms, and on the cognitive “independent” variables of irrational beliefs. Major changes were obtained on all “dependent” measures supporting previous work on the usefulness of an RET approach in reducing various types of distress. Further, these changes were shown to be strongly related to changes in irrational beliefs and changing such irrational beliefs was the major focus of the program. It is concluded, therefore, that a fundamental assumption of Rational-Emotive Therapy and theory is given additional empirical support.

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Author notes

  1. Paul J. Woods Ph.D. (professor)

    Present address: , Roanoke, Virginia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Psychology, Hollins College, 24020, Roanoke, VA

    Paul J. Woods Ph.D. (professor)

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  1. Paul J. Woods Ph.D.
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Paul J. Woods, Ph.D., co-editor of this Journal, is an associate fellow and an RET training supervisor of the Institute for Rational-Emotive Therapy

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Woods, P.J. Reductions in type a behavior, anxiety, anger, and physical illness as related to changes in irrational beliefs: Results of a demonstration project in industry. Journal of Rational-Emotive Therapy 5, 213–237 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01073814

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