Beck's cognitive triad comprises negative beliefs about which three domains?

• A. The triad includes positive self-view, supportive world, and hopeful future.
• B. Negative beliefs about self, world, and future.
• C. The triad is a behavioral pattern of avoidance and withdrawal.
• D. The triad refers to physiological arousal with cognitive distortions.

Answer: (B)

Beck's cognitive triad is about negative beliefs in three domains: about the self, about the world, and about the future. These automatic thoughts shape how a person interprets events, often making neutral or minor experiences seem like proof of personal inadequacy, an unkind or overwhelming world, and a hopeless or unchangeable future. For example, thinking “I’m worthless” reflects the self domain; “the world is against me” reflects the world domain; and “things will never get better” reflects the future domain. This pattern helps explain why someone with depression tends to interpret experiences through a pessimistic lens and feel stuck. The other descriptions describe different phenomena—such as a behavioral pattern of avoidance or patterns of physiological arousal with distortions—but they don’t capture the three-domain belief system that Beck identified.