What is the primary aim of cognitive restructuring in CBT?

• A. To change emotions by altering external circumstances only.
• B. To identify and challenge maladaptive beliefs to reduce distress.
• C. To eliminate all thoughts and feelings.
• D. To replace thoughts with medical treatment decisions.

Answer: (B)

Cognitive restructuring targets how we interpret events and the beliefs that follow from those interpretations. The primary aim is to identify distorted or unhelpful beliefs and actively challenge them so distress is reduced. In practice, you notice automatic thoughts, examine the evidence for and against the belief, consider alternative, more balanced interpretations, and test these thoughts in real life. This shift in thinking changes emotions because what we feel is driven by how we interpret what happens, not just what happens. For example, after a mistake you might think, “I’m a failure.” By evaluating the evidence and forming a more realistic view like, “I made a mistake, but I can learn from it and improve,” you lessen self-criticism and anxiety. The other options don’t fit because changing emotions solely through external circumstances ignores the cognitive link to emotion, eliminating all thoughts and feelings is not a therapeutic goal, and replacing thoughts with medical decisions is not how cognitive restructuring operates.