James E. Lantz, MSW, is Clinical Social Worker, North Central Com munity Mental Health Center, Columbus, Ohio. Although cognitive theory has exusing to create unpleasant or dysfunc isted for a considerable time, social tional emotional states. Maultsby uses workers have only recently started to example of learning to drive a car use it as a basis for casework practice, to illustrate this phenomenon.4 When The purpose of this article is to proan individual is first learning to drive vide an overview of major cona car, he or she engages in a great deal cepts of cognitive theory and to of active thinking or (a provide descriptions of treatment promessage from self to self) cedures that can be used with a cogniabout driving car. The individual tive orientation to social casework, will actively tell himor herself to step Such a presentation may help to inon brake or to turn steering crease use of cognitive theory as a wheel in order to stop or turn. After guide in practice. a period of time, this form of self-talk The primary concept held by cognior thinking becomes so well learned tive practitioners is that most human that it becomes almost automatic and emotion is direct result of what is generally outside person's aware people think, tell themselves, assume, ness. similar process occurs in or believe about themselves and their development of most dysfunctional social situations.1 Ellis formulated a human emotions. As a result, to help a cognitive ABC theory of emotion client learn to change a dysfunctional based on this primary concept.2 In his emotional state, it is important that framework, A represents an outside professional help client bring event or social situation, B repreinto active awareness thoughts, be sents what people think, believe, and liefs, or misconceptions that are cre tell themselves about themselves and ating or maintaining dysfunctional outside event, and C represents emotion. emotions that follow logically from Although cognitive theory considers these thoughts and beliefs. According most dysfunctional emotional states to to Ellis, when people's thoughts and be a direct result of individual's beliefs are rational, they feel emotions misconceptions, its third major concept that are functional. When their is that there are exceptions to this rule, thoughts and beliefs are irrational, Many dysfunctional emotions may be people begin to develop dysfunctional result of organic, physiological, emotions, various psychiatric sympneurological, or chemical problems, toms, and dysfunctional behavior patExamples of such problems include terns. It is therapist's responsibility thyroid imbalance, blood sugar im to help clients change irrational ideas balance, brain tissue damage, malnu and beliefs that create such dysfunctrition, intake of toxic substances, tional emotional states. aging, prolonged exposure to ele Raimy has stated this primary ments, some forms of psychosis and premise of cognitive theory in a someaffective disorders, and, in general, any what different way.3 In his view, most physical problem that can create an dysfunctional human emotions and imbalance in body's chemical behavior are direct result of misstate.5 conceptions that people hold about fourth concept in cognitive theory themselves or about various environis that not all unpleasant emotions are mental situations. Raimy also believes dysfunctional and not all pleasant emo that most dysfunctional emotions can tions are functional. Maultsby illus be changed when person feeling trates this point with example of a emotion is able to change or corperson who feels very happy about rect misconceptions creating it. seeing a rattlesnake.6 An individual second concept in cognitive thewho sees an attractively colored rattle ory is that many of people's beliefs, snake that is set to bite him or her, and misconceptions, and thinking processes tells himor herself both that the are outside their awareness. As a rerattlesnake is pretty and that the suit, in many instances human beings rattlesnake is not dangerous is en do not know just what thoughts, ideas, gaging in thinking that is, in part, ir beliefs, and misconceptions they are rational. This misconception will result