Which CBT technique helps anxious clients challenge the belief that they are the focus of others by conducting experiments to show others are not focused on them?

Which CBT technique helps anxious clients challenge the belief that they are the focus of others by conducting experiments to show others are not focused on them?

• A. Modeling
• B. Redefining
• C. Decentering
• D. Homework

Answer: (C)

Decentering is about taking a step back from your own thoughts and viewing them as temporary mental events rather than facts about reality. For someone who believes they’re the focus of everyone’s attention, this technique uses small experiments to test that belief in the real world. The client might try a brief interaction with a stranger, then observe and record whether the other person is actually focused on them or on their own concerns. Often the data show that people aren’t scrutinizing them as intensely as feared, which helps weaken the belief and lowers anxiety. This approach differs from modeling, which is about the therapist demonstrating coping behaviors; redefining, which focuses on reframing thoughts; and homework in general, which is a broader set of tasks rather than the specific act of testing beliefs through real-world experiments.

Decentering is about taking a step back from your own thoughts and viewing them as temporary mental events rather than facts about reality. For someone who believes they’re the focus of everyone’s attention, this technique uses small experiments to test that belief in the real world. The client might try a brief interaction with a stranger, then observe and record whether the other person is actually focused on them or on their own concerns. Often the data show that people aren’t scrutinizing them as intensely as feared, which helps weaken the belief and lowers anxiety. This approach differs from modeling, which is about the therapist demonstrating coping behaviors; redefining, which focuses on reframing thoughts; and homework in general, which is a broader set of tasks rather than the specific act of testing beliefs through real-world experiments.