Tom is driving his brand-new sports car to work. He is very proud of his car because it took a long time to save for his down payment. While stopped at a four-way intersection, he was waiting to proceed into the intersection when another vehicle cut him off.
This made him slam on his breaks, and he waited for the other person to go through the intersection. This behavior set off his anger, and he became irate and started yelling at the other driver. This was an automatic reaction on his part. The cognitive restructuring theory could teach him how to handle his excessive anger.
- What is the purpose of the cognitive restructuring theory? describe.
- How would the cognitive restructuring theory help Tom from the scenario above in handling his excessive anger? describe.
- What are the steps that he should take to control his anger? describe and be specific.
- Describe a situation that you were in where the cognitive restructuring theory could help.
- describe the situation using the 4 steps in cognitive restructuring.
- If left unchecked, how could frequent outbursts of excessive anger eventually result in serious criminal or socially unacceptable behavior? describe.