TOWARDS A REFINEMENT OF COGNITIVE THERAPY IN LIGHT OF INTERPERSONAL THEORY .1. THEORY

This article is the first of a two-part series on the refinement of cognitive behavioral theory and practice in light of interpersonal theory. The objective of this article is to outline a systematic theoretical framework that can be useful in integrating cognitive interpersonal perspectives. It is argued that an integration of this type can be useful in guiding the use of the therapeutic relationship in cognitive therapy and in clarifying the relationship between cognitive and interpersonal processes in problem maintenance and change. Of central importance to the current perspective are the concepts of interpersonal schema and cognitive-interpersonal cycle. An interpersonal schema is defined as a generic knowledge structure based on previous interpersonal experience, that contains information relevant to the maintenance of interpersonal relatedness. A cognitive interpersonal cycle is defined as an unbroken causal loop through which maladaptive expectations and dysfunctional behaviors maintain one another. The article concludes with a number of suggestions for research evaluating the central theoretical concepts. © 1990.