Rational Emotive Therapy, a foundational cognitive-behavioral approach, was developed by which individual?

• A. Albert Ellis
• B. Carl Rogers
• C. B.F. Skinner
• D. Erik Erikson

Answer: (A)

Rational Emotive Therapy is tied to the work of Albert Ellis, a pioneer of cognitive-behavioral therapy. It rests on the idea that emotional distress is driven more by irrational beliefs about events than by the events themselves. The approach uses the ABC framework: an activating event leads to beliefs, which then produce emotional and behavioral consequences. Through disputing irrational beliefs—whether they are logical, empirical, or pragmatic—clients learn to replace rigid, absolutist thinking with more flexible, rational perspectives. This shift reduces distress and promotes healthier responses. The other figures listed contributed in different therapeutic traditions—Carl Rogers with client-centered therapy, B.F. Skinner with behaviorism, Erik Erikson with psychosocial development—so Albert Ellis is the correct source for this approach.