How Cognitive Theory Is Used in Phobia Treatment

Cognitive theory is an approach to psychology that attempts to explain human behavior by understanding your thought processes. For example, a therapist is using principles of cognitive theory when they teach you how to identify maladaptive thought patterns and transform them into constructive ones.

Cognitive Theory Basics

The assumption of cognitive theory is that thoughts are the primary determinants of emotions and behavior. Information processing is a common description of this mental process. Theorists compare the way the human mind functions to a computer.

The trend of the last decades has been to merge cognitive theory and behaviorism into a comprehensive cognitive-behavioral theory (CBT). This allows therapists to use techniques from both schools of thought to help clients achieve their goals.

Social Cognitive Theory

Social cognitive theory is a subset of cognitive theory. Therapists use it to treat phobias and other psychological disorders. It is primarily focused on the ways in which we learn to model the behavior of others. Advertising campaigns and peer pressure situations are good examples.

Cognitive Restructuring to Treat Phobia

All three types of phobia fall into a larger group of psychological issues called anxiety disorders, which are the most common type of psychiatric disorder.

The basic approach to cognitive restructuring put forth by leading cognitive theorist Christine A. Padesky, Ph.D., recommends that your therapist goes through four basic steps with you:

1. Ask questions to identify the "self-talk" going on in your head when you feel anxious, and then facilitate a discussion to test if what you're thinking is really true.
2. Listen to what you have to say with an empathetic ear and unconditional acceptance.
3. Ask you to summarize the main points of the session to reinforce what you've learned and to let them address any misunderstandings.
4. Ask you questions that allow you to synthesize and analyze the new and more realistic view of your anxiety so you can restructure your thought patterns.

Cognitive Biases Treatment

Your therapist is relying on cognitive theory if they highlight identifying the cognitive biases in your maladaptive thoughts as a part of your treatment plan. Two types of cognitive biases addressed in anxiety treatment include:

• Attention bias means that when you are experiencing your anxiety trigger, you pay attention to the negative signals instead of positive ones. For example, if you have a fear of public speaking, you only look at audience members with facial expressions you see as threatening, rather than seeking out the smiling faces.
• Interpretation bias, as the name implies, refers to misinterpreting information. At the podium, you might think an audience member with a negative facial expression is a reflection of how they feel about you when they're really just tired.