Basic mistakes are defined as what?

Basic mistakes are defined as what?

• A. Unconscious conflicts from childhood
• B. Physiological imbalances
• C. Behavioral conditioning strategies
• D. Self-defeating beliefs including extreme need for security, unattainable goals, and doubting one's worth

Answer: (D)

Basic mistakes are irrational, self-defeating beliefs about oneself and the world that lead to emotional distress. They involve rigid, absolutist thinking and demandingness—for example, an extreme need for security, setting unattainable goals, and doubting one’s worth. This description fits the concept of basic mistakes, which are characteristic of cognitive-behavioral approaches like REBT. They aren’t about unconscious childhood conflicts, physiological imbalances, or conditioning strategies, which is why those options don’t apply.

Basic mistakes are irrational, self-defeating beliefs about oneself and the world that lead to emotional distress. They involve rigid, absolutist thinking and demandingness—for example, an extreme need for security, setting unattainable goals, and doubting one’s worth. This description fits the concept of basic mistakes, which are characteristic of cognitive-behavioral approaches like REBT. They aren’t about unconscious childhood conflicts, physiological imbalances, or conditioning strategies, which is why those options don’t apply.