Examining the Effects of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) on the Irrational Beliefs of Blue-Chip Professionals

The extant literature reveals a scarcity of research applying rational emotive behavior
therapy (REBT) in business settings. Against the backdrop of severe market conditions
and inevitable involuntary job loss, the application of psychological interventions to
reduce mental and physical health issues is highly pertinent and potentially valuable.
This paper reports the effects of an intensive REBT programme on the irrational beliefs
of staff undergoing redundancy from a Blue-Chip organisation. A repeated-measures
single-group intervention design was adopted so that changes in irrational beliefs could
be assessed over the course of the REBT programme. Results indicated significant
reductions in total irrational beliefs, other-depreciation, need for achievement, and
demand for fairness from pretest to posttest phases. Social validation data indicated
perceived psychological and performance benefits underpinned by shifts in irrational
beliefs. Results are discussed with reference to mechanisms of change, study
limitations, and applied research issues.