Beck's cognitive triad

proper noun

In cognitive therapy, a set of three mutually reinforcing elements of a depressed person's belief system: automatic, spontaneous and seemingly uncontrollable negative thoughts about (i) oneself, (ii) the world or environment, and (iii) the future.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. In cognitive therapy, a set of three mutually reinforcing elements of a depressed person's belief system: automatic, spontaneous and seemingly uncontrollable negative thoughts about (i) oneself, (ii) the world or environment, and (iii) the future.

Origin

Proposed by American psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck in 1976.

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Cite this entry
APA

Beck's cognitive triad. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Beck's%20cognitive%20triad

MLA

“Beck's cognitive triad.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Beck's%20cognitive%20triad. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Beck's cognitive triad,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Beck's%20cognitive%20triad.

Source: Beck's cognitive triad on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.