What is the central premise of the cognitive model in CBT?

• A. Emotions and behaviors are driven by events themselves.
• B. Emotions and behaviors are driven by how a person interprets events (automatic thoughts).
• C. Thoughts do not influence feelings.
• D. External reinforcement is the only factor shaping actions.

Answer: (B)

Emotions and behaviors are shaped by how a person interprets events, through automatic thoughts. In CBT, a situation isn’t automatically powerful on mood or action—the meaning we assign to it drives our emotional response and subsequent behavior. These automatic thoughts are quick, often subconscious interpretations that can be accurate or distorted, and they form the bridge between what happens and how we feel or act. This is captured in the idea that beliefs about events—what we think it means—set off emotional and behavioral consequences, not the events themselves.

For example, if you get an exam result, the activating event is the grade, but the automatic thought might be, “I’m a failure,” which then leads to anxiety and withdrawal. By identifying that thought and testing it—looking for evidence for and against it—you can shift the belief, and with that, the feelings and actions change.

This contrasts with the other views that imply events alone determine mood, or that thoughts don’t influence feelings, or that behavior is driven only by external rewards. In CBT, the interpretive process is the key lever for change, which is why this option best captures the central premise.