A key concept of Rational-Emotive Therapy is that emotional disturbance originates from what?

• A. Emotions are caused by external events alone
• B. Emotions are unaffected by beliefs
• C. Emotions are solely due to genetics
• D. Emotions originate from irrational beliefs that are reinforced

Answer: (D)

In REBT, emotional disturbance comes from the way we interpret events—specifically from irrational beliefs about those events. An activating event alone doesn’t cause feelings; it’s our beliefs about the event, often rigid and absolutist (like “I must” or “everything must go perfectly”), that generate distress. These irrational beliefs tend to be reinforced over time, solidifying emotional patterns. So the statement that emotions originate from irrational beliefs that are reinforced best captures how REBT explains emotional disturbance. External events can trigger feelings, but the emotional impact hinges on our beliefs, not the events themselves, and genetics by itself doesn’t account for the disturbance.