A talk by Martina Furst (University of Graz)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Hinge Commitments
A theoretical tenet of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has it that some of the key contributors to mental suffering are maladaptive core beliefs. Accordingly, CBT aims at improving mental health by targeting these core beliefs. In this talk, I offer a novel model of the core states targeted by CBT. In particular, I argue that these states are not proper beliefs but rather a kind of hinge commitment. I proceed as follows. First, I elaborate on the desiderata for any theory of the target core states. Second, having identified the key features of the core states, I show that these states are unlikely to be proper beliefs. Third, I argue that the target states are rather a kind of hinge commitment. Finally, I turn to the explanatory power of the proposed view, elucidating why revising one´s core states is such a challenging task. I conclude that the model of core states as hinge commitments illuminates their particular nature and function, thereby explaining which therapeutic methods are promising to improve mental health.