Changing Your Anxious Thoughts and Expectations
117Can you think of ways in which you selectively pay attention to events or information 
that conﬁrm your anxious beliefs and selectively ignore information that is inconsistent 
with those beliefs? In the space below, list examples of times when you have engaged in 
selective attention or memory:
Negative Core Beliefs
In addition to paying attention to your negative thinking in particular situations that 
trigger your anxiety, it may also be useful to become more aware of any deeper, more 
central, and long-standing assumptions that contribute to your feelings of anxiety. These 
assumptions are called core beliefs  and they can include negative assumptions that people 
hold about themselves (for example, “I am incompetent”), other people (for instance, 
“Other people cannot be trusted”), and the world (such as, “The world is a dangerous 
place”). The more strongly held these core beliefs are, the more difﬁcult they may be 
to change.
One technique for uncovering core beliefs involves continually asking about the 
meaning of each fearful belief you have until the core beliefs underlying your anxious 
interpretations are revealed. This process is illustrated in the following conversation 
between Liam and his therapist:
Liam:   I am terriﬁed to ask my coworker Cindy out on a date.
Therapist:   What are you afraid might happen if you ask her out?
Liam:   Mostly, I’m afraid she will say no.
Therapist:   Why would that be a problem?
Liam:   If she rejects me, it will probably mean that she doesn’t ﬁnd me attractive.
Therapist:   What would be so bad about that?
Liam:   It will conﬁrm my own belief that I am unattractive.