ABSTRACT
As described in Chapter 1, CBT theory identifies three levels of thinking, namely negative automatic thoughts (NATs), rules for living and core beliefs.
A key issue is the relationship between NATs, rules for living and core beliefs. It is generally accepted that the three levels are interdependent as follows: building on the discussion of this in Chapter 1, a starting point is to say that human beings are not passive recipients of information, but rather we continually interact with our environment and actively strive to make sense of our experiences. Thus core beliefs are best thought of as information processing mechanisms by which the individual makes sense of his or her interactions with others and the world. These mechanisms for processing information are developed in early childhood and elaborated as we grow and develop; so environmental factors play a significant part in shaping these. However, as many theorists observe (Gilbert, 2000a), biology also plays a role in terms of personality or temperament.
