Perceptions of beliefs in rational emotive theory among college students: A multidimensional scaling analysis

A major component of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is the distinction between rational thoughts and irrational thoughts. REBT also proposes that rational and irrational thinking is organized around four types of belief processes. This categorization includes four irrational belief processes of Demandingness, Awfulizing, Low Frustration Tolerance, and Rating, and their corresponding rational belief processes of Full Preferences, Non-Awfulizing, High Frustration Tolerance and Acceptance. Theoretical questioning and results of recent psychometric studies have raised doubts as to whether this categorization adequately represents how individuals perceive and organize Ellisonian beliefs. The purpose of the present study was to explore the underlying organizational structure of beliefs. Specifically, the belief systems delineated in Albert Ellis's Rational Emotive Theory were assessed indirectly using Multidimensional Scaling (MDS). This study also examined perceptions of beliefs of two different content areas to investigate whether belief content influences the organizational structure of belief systems.; Participants consisted of college students who were randomly assigned to a sorting task or a rating scale task. Within each task, students were randomly assigned to complete the task with approval stimuli or achievement stimuli. The sorting task, the primary measure to assess belief perceptions, involved participants sorting 24 belief statements into categories based upon perceived similarity. The rating scales were used to externally validate the MDS results and provide additional information regarding belief perceptions. Further analyses were conducted to examine any potential similarities or differences between beliefs pertaining to achievement and beliefs pertaining to approval.; MDS analyses indicated a two-dimensional solution was appropriate for both approval and achievement conditions. The first dimension, Irrational versus Rational, differentiated between beliefs designated as irrational and rational in REBT theory. Regression analyses revealed strong relationships between the Irrational versus Rational Dimension and the irrational and rational rating scales for approval beliefs. The second dimension focused on beliefs of demands and preferences and was named Demands and Preferences. Contrary to REBT theory, demands were not perceived to be irrational by students. Further analyses determined that solutions for approval and achievement beliefs were very similar to each other. Future studies should explore belief perceptions among different populations.