Appendix 22 (Page 1 of 3)
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Enhancing Cognitive Flexibility (2)
Activity :
Beliefs and Emotions
Target:
Junior secondary students
Aims:
1.
2.
To help students realize that emotions stem from one’s beliefs and
thoughts.
To help students manage negative emotions in a positive manner by
changing their preconceptions.
Activity Aids:
1. ‘Worksheet – ABC Tips’
2. Reference: ‘Handling Cognitive Distortion & Negative Thoughts’
(Appendix 19)
Procedures:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Use the examples on the Worksheet – ABC Tips to introduce the
connections between beliefs and emotions.
Ask students to fill in Q1 to Q3 of the ‘Worksheet – ABC Tips’. Let
them find out that with the same event, different beliefs can lead to
different emotion responses.
During group discussion, lead students to redirect and manage
negative emotions by thinking positively.
Ask students to fill in Q4-6 of the ‘Worksheet – ABC Tips’ to practise
how to redirect negative belief to positive belief.
Ask students to fill in Q7-8 by writing down recent events that made
them feel happy, angry, sad, frustrated or inferior, their thoughts at
those moments, as well as their consequent emotions.
Divide
students into groups to discuss how to manage negative emotions by
changing their thoughts.
Discuss with students cognitive distortions/unhealthy beliefs
commonly among them and how these beliefs generate negative
emotions. See also the reference ‘Handling Cognitive Distortion &
Negative Thoughts’ (Appendix 19).
Sum-Up:
EDIP
‘Our emotions stem from our beliefs and thoughts. Negative beliefs and
thoughts generate negative emotions. Therefore, we can learn to identify
our negative beliefs and thoughts and replace them with positive ones so
that positive emotions can then be generated.’
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Updated in October 2015
Appendix 22 (Page 2 of 3)
Worksheet – ABC Tips
Antecedent
Belief
i) She disturbs me deliberately.
(Example 1)
ii) She knows that I am feeling
My younger sister pushes
low. So she wants to give
me once.
me some fun.
i) He picks on me.
(Example 2)
My classmate criticises ii) He just wants to give me
me.
some advice.
1. My friend refuses to
help me.
2. My class
scolds me.
3. I
 Happy
 Angry
 Grateful
 __________________
ii) He has his own difficulties.
 __________________
i) He has a bias against me.
 __________________
ii) He thinks highly of me and
has expectations on me.
 __________________
i) No matter how hard I try, I
am doomed to failure.
 __________________
ii) This is what I predicted
because I did not work hard
enough.
 __________________
i) He always humiliates me in
front of others.
 __________________
ii) ______________________
 Worried about him
i) ______________________
 Unhappy
ii) ______________________
 Feel loved and cared for
in
4. My father vents his
anger on me in front
of others.
5. My teacher says that I
write too slowly.
EDIP
 Unhappy
i) He fails me. He does not
treat me as his friend.
teacher
did badly
dictation.
Consequent
emotion
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Updated in October 2015
Appendix 22 (Page 3 of 3)
6. My classmates laugh
at me.
i) ______________________
ii) ______________________
 Feel rejected and miserable
 Feel easy

7.


8.

EDIP
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Updated in October 2015