Which are typical CBT homework assignments?

• A. Attend additional therapy sessions without homework.
• B. Memorize cognitive theories.
• C. Write a novel about one's life.
• D. Complete thought records and perform graded exposures.

Answer: (D)

The key idea here is that CBT homework focuses on practicing concrete skills outside of sessions to apply cognitive and behavioral changes in real life. Completing thought records and doing graded exposures are classic, hands-on tasks used to translate what you learn in therapy into daily practice.

Thought records guide you to surface automatic thoughts, assess the evidence for and against them, and then generate a more balanced interpretation. This trains you to catch and modify distorted thinking as it happens. Graded exposures involve facing feared situations in a structured way, starting with less distressing tasks and gradually tackling more challenging ones, which helps reduce avoidance and anxiety over time. Together, these tasks build skillful, real-world change.

The other options don’t fit as well. attending more therapy sessions without homework isn’t about practicing skills between sessions; memorizing theories is about knowledge rather than applying techniques; and writing a novel about one’s life doesn’t address the targeted cognitive-behavioral exercises or exposure work that CBT homework emphasizes.