Re: What uncertainties do we face in CT/CBT?
It's interesting that you mention the relationship between affect and cognition -- I was thinking about posting a question on that very topic. When I was first learning the basics of CT, I started with some books written for the general public. Uniformly, they presented a straightforward "thoughts precede emotions" standpoint, and when I moved on to "Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond" by Judith Beck, this view was reinforced.
As I started reading casebooks and journals, however, I started finding statements like, "Of course, it's nieve to still believe that cognition always precedes emotion. The relationship between thought, affect, and behavior is complex." Somehow, though, the author never goes into more detail about this relationship.
I have three questions:
1. What is the "mainstream" view on this? Do most cognitive therapists still hold to the "thought precedes emotion" formula, or have they embraced the more "complex" view?
2. Where is the "missing link" between these two viewpoints? Earlier works seem to hold to the old formula, and newer works seem to make the case for the "complex relationship" as if it's a well-established viewpoint, but where and when did this new viewpoint emerge? (I can't seem to find it in the literature. Admittedly, my resources are kind of slim.)
3. If one believes that emotion precedes thought, then what possible benefit could be derived by challenging cognitive distortions and developing adaptive responses? Are we conceptualizing some kind of feedback loop?
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