The term cognitive  refers to anything having to do with assumptions, beliefs, predic -
tions, interpretations, visual imagery, memory, and other mental processes related to 
thinking. The basic underlying assumption of cognitive therapy is that negative emotions 
occur because people interpret situations in a negative or threatening way. For example, 
people who are convinced that others will judge them in a negative way or who are 
overly concerned about the opinions of others are bound to feel anxious or uncomfort -
able in certain social situations. Cognitive therapy teaches individuals to be more aware 
of their negative thoughts and to replace them with less negative thoughts. People learn