What is The ABC Model?
The ABC model is a mnemonic that represents the three stages that determine our behavior:
- Activating events: a negative situation occurs
- Beliefs: the explanation we create for why the situation happened
- Consequences: our feelings and behaviors in response to adversity, caused by our beliefs
The Basic Idea
Although we all encounter adverse situations, we also react to them differently. While one person might be patiently waiting and listening to music while facing a traffic jam, another will be angrily honking their horn and feeling anxiety building up. Why is this the case?
During negative experiences, the first thing we naturally do is subconsciously explain to ourselves why the situation happened. Our beliefs about the causes of adversity determine our reaction.1 Holding negative beliefs about why something might have happened can make us more likely to experience negative emotional responses.
The ABC model is a technique used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a form of psychotherapy that helps individuals reshape their negative thoughts and feelings in a positive way. The idea of the ABC model is that it’s not external events that drive our emotions but our beliefs about these events.1 As such, understanding how we evaluate external events is key in changing how we react to them. CBT trains individuals to be more aware of how their thoughts and feelings affect their behavior, and the ABC model is used in this restructuring to help patients develop healthier responses.
The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.
– Albert Ellis, psychologist and creator of the ABC model, speaking on its ability to build resilience
