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A Meta-Analytical Approach of the Relationships Between the Irrationality of Beliefs and the Functionality of Automatic Thoughts

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Abstract

Although irrational beliefs (IBs) and automatic thoughts (ATs) have been proposed as mechanisms that contribute to psychopathology in the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) model, surprisingly, no previous study systematically evaluated the magnitude and direction of the relationship between the two central constructs. Therefore, the present meta-analysis aimed to evaluate this association, considering its theoretical and clinical importance. We conducted a systematic search of the literature and included 34 experimental and correlational studies suited for the purpose of this meta-analysis, comprising 5086 participants. Results indicated a significant (p < .001) medium sized association (r = .43) for the relationship between the irrationality of beliefs and the functionality of ATs, higher levels of IBs being associated with more dysfunctional ATs. The magnitude of the relationship does not depend on the specific CBT theoretical model through which the two variables were approached and it is not influenced by the context, nor by the object of the beliefs. However, the content of beliefs appears to impact on this relationship, given that the results revealed a significant (p < .001) large effect size (r = .58) for the association of ATs with certainty beliefs, but no association was present for control beliefs. Results also suggest that primary and secondary IBs equally impact on ATs’ functionality and should be equally addressed in psychological interventions. Further theoretical and practical implications, and future directions are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Babeş-Bolyai University, No. 37, Republicii Street, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania

    Radu Şoflău & Daniel O. David

  2. The International Institute for the Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Radu Şoflău

  3. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA

    Daniel O. David

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  1. Radu Şoflău
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Correspondence to Daniel O. David.

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Radu Şoflău and Daniel David declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (national and institutional). Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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No animal studies were carried out by the authors for this article.

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Şoflău, R., David, D.O. A Meta-Analytical Approach of the Relationships Between the Irrationality of Beliefs and the Functionality of Automatic Thoughts. Cogn Ther Res 41, 178–192 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-016-9812-y

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