Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Hinge Commitments

A theoretical tenet of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has it that some of the key contributors to mental suffering are maladaptive core beliefs. The aim of this paper is to offer a novel model of the core cognitive states targeted by CBT. 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 core states, I show that these states are unlikely to be proper beliefs. Third, considering the specific profile of core states, I argue that they 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 the core states as a kind of hinge commitment illuminates their specific nature and function, thereby explaining which therapeutic methods are promising to improve mental health.