Towards an Experimental Cognitive Science of CBT

The increasing focus on cognitive processes as therapeutic targets has not yet been matched by a cognitive science base sufficiently developed to guide clinical practice. It is argued that the papers in this special issue represent evidence of progress towards this desirable goal. Collectively, they illustrate research techniques aimed at specifying the nature of cognitive operations likely to increase the risk of emotional disorders, and the introduction of experimental methods for their modification. Emergent themes include the suggestion that negative thought content, such as that experienced in rumination, is an unintended but maladaptive product of underlying biases in selective processing. Despite often operating outside awareness, this biased processing can be changed, for example by strengthening incompatible alternatives. Beyond providing evidence for the causal role of selective cognitive processes, this approach offers a potentially powerful method for investigating and developing new therapeutic tools.