REBT's stance on emotions emphasizes that feelings are largely shaped by irrational beliefs. Which option reflects this?

• A. REBT de-emphasizes feelings.
• B. REBT focuses solely on emotional expression.
• C. REBT views feelings as separate from thoughts and beliefs.
• D. REBT sees feelings as largely shaped by irrational beliefs.

Answer: (D)

In REBT, emotions come from the beliefs we hold about events, not from the events themselves. This is why feelings are described as largely shaped by irrational beliefs. The approach uses the ABC model—activating event, beliefs about it, and the emotional or behavioral consequence—to show how an emotional response is driven by the interpretation, not the event. When those beliefs are irrational (for example, demanding that we must be perfect or catastrophizing about outcomes), distress follows. Changing those beliefs changes how we feel. So this option best reflects REBT’s view that our emotional state is largely determined by our beliefs about what happened. It’s not that emotions are ignored or that only emotional expression matters, and it doesn’t treat feelings as separate from thoughts and beliefs—they're linked through the way we evaluate events.