Cognitive primacy, cognitive behavior guidance, and their implications for cognitive therapy

H. Kreitler, S. Kreitler

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

In its first part the paper presents evidence for the overall primacy and functional autonomy of cognition and discusses the implications of this issue for cognitive treatment of anxiety disorders and old-age depression with special emphasis on the hitherto neglected processes of initial input identification. In its second part the five stages of the input-output model underlying the theory of cognitive orientation (by Kreitler and Kreitler) are invoked in order to demonstrate that each of its five stages has its stage-specific pathogenic cores whereas the eventual formation of normal or abnormal molar behavior depends on all the stage-specific functions. Different psychotherapeutic schools prefer a particular stage or even a stage-specific process as a focus for intervention and thus are limited in their therapeutic achievements. Finally, it is suggested that by virtue of its theoretical and technical means only cognitive therapy could improve the functioning of all five stages and thus increase the rate of therapeutic success. The last section specifies methods developed and pretested by the authors for the assessment and modification of the major constructs of the model, namely, meanings, beliefs and behavioral programs.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)151-169
Number of pages19
JournalJournal of Cognitive Psychotherapy
Volume4
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1990

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