Aaron T. Beck’s research while affiliated with Treatment Research Institute, Philadelphia PA and other places

Background and Hypothesis: The Cognitive Model of Negative Symptoms is a prominent model that posits that defeatist performance beliefs (DPB) are a key psychological mechanism underlying negative symptoms in those with schizophrenia (SZ). However, the ecological validity of the model has not been established, and temporally specific evaluations of the model’s hypotheses have not been conducted. This study tested the model’s key hypotheses in real-world environments using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Study Design: Fifty-two outpatients with SZ and 55 healthy controls (CN) completed 6 days of EMA. Multilevel models examined concurrent and time-lagged associations between DPB and negative symptoms in daily life. Study Results: SZ displayed greater DPB in daily life than CN. Furthermore, greater DPB were associated with greater concurrently assessed negative symptoms (anhedonia, avolition, and asociality) in daily life. Time-lagged analyses indicated that in both groups, greater DPB at time t led to elevations in negative symptoms (anhedonia, avolition, or asociality) at t + 1 above and beyond the effects of negative symptoms at time t. Conclusions: Results support the ecological validity of the Cognitive Model of Negative Symptoms and identify a temporally specific association between DPB and subsequent negative symptoms that is consistent with the model’s hypotheses and a putative mechanistic pathway in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for negative symptoms. Findings suggest that DPB are a psychological factor contributing to negative symptoms in real-world environments. Implications for measuring DPB in daily life and providing just-in-time mobile health-based interventions to target this mechanism are discussed.

The generic cognitive model has a robust research canon that draws on the scientific method to regularly update and correct shortcomings in its accuracy, a recent update is the construct of modes. Modes provide a model to understand the range of reactions in individuals, ranging from normal, strong reactions through serious psychopathology. The mode is a tool to describe personality and provide a mechanism for understanding and treating clients more comprehensively. The theory includes explanations of evolutionary, physiological, cognitive, and affective factors of personality. A novel extension of the original cognitive therapy is described that harnesses the construct of modes to achieve durable recovery.

In this paper we look at the manifestation of different psychopathologies and propose that the disorders are on a continuum with normal behavior which, when exaggerated, becomes maladaptive. The basic paradigm of adaptation consists of cognition, affect, motivation, and behavior. Maladaptation occurs when there are errors in cognition involving the four domains of gain, loss, threat, or offense, thus triggering positive or negative affect, motivation, and subsequent behavior. Behavior is traditionally focused upon when we evaluate and treat psychopathology, but the root of disorders is the exaggeration of commonplace thoughts. We argue that treating the exaggerated expectation of pleasure or apprehension of pain will result in the return of the normal processes as the superordinate monitors discrepancies between maladaptive beliefs and reality.

The original version of this article contained an error in the corresponding author’s first name and e-mail address. The author name should read as “Aaron T. Beck” instead of “Aron T. Beck” and the e-mail address should read as “abeck@pennmedicine.upenn.edu” instead of “abeck@penmedcine.upenu.edu.” The original article has been corrected.

In this chapter, Mauro Galluccio and Aaron T. Beck explain how the area of research on cognitive biases has made clear that the kinds of judgements people are likely to make may well be affected by their own baggage in the form of various biases and perceptual predispositions. Politicians and scientists, like the rest of us, may be affected by various biases. Cognitive biases anchor our understanding. We need to investigate social-cognitive biases, because even if we have a lot of experience, if we are “trapped” in biases we will miss the insights sitting right in front of us. As in every policy, scientific evidence must be weighed alongside numerous interests and considerations in order to find balanced and appropriate policymaking for the people. Always remember you are all in the same boat and be careful not to be taken hostage by deeply held core beliefs, misperceptions, misunderstandings, and competitive behaviours.

Principal components analyses were performed on the intercorrelations among the 21 items of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and 15 items of NIAAA's alcohol Impairment Index for 101 men admitted for alcoholism treatment at large, metropolitan community mental health center. An inter-battery principal-components analysis performed among the five salient components initially found for the BDI and the four identified for the Impairment Index revealed one significant canonical variate representing affective and somatic symptoms. The symptoms reflecting cognitive distortions in self-concept may afford a better picture of the severity of depression in alcoholics than affective and somatic symptoms.

Individual differences in intolerance of uncertainty are hypothesized to play a role in certain difficulties and distress in individuals with psychosis. However, the few studies that have directly explored this have yielded mixed results, which are difficult to interpret because measures of intolerance of uncertainty have not been formally validated for use with this population. To this end, the primary goal of the present study was to validate a brief (9-item) version of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (Freeston et al. Personality and Individual Differences, 17, 791–802 1994) in an outpatient sample of 252 adults with psychosis. Results showed strong evidence for reliability (internal consistency and 6-month test-retest), as well as concurrent, predictive, and discriminant validity. Scores from the brief IUS were significantly correlated with emotional distress (e.g., anxiety, depression, hopelessness), quality of life, global functioning, and delusions, but not hallucinations. Further, these scores predicted changes in levels of general anxiety over time. Notably, intolerance of uncertainty was associated with symptoms/distress and functioning above and beyond pertinent cognitive variables (e.g., defeatist beliefs, asocial beliefs), suggesting this brief scale has incremental validity. Overall, results suggest it is a promising tool for future research on psychosis, and possibly clinical work with this population.