A few weeks ago, a Pixar movie was released, which like all their classics, is not just for the little ones, but invites all of us to enjoy and reflect on them. *Inside Out 2* invites us to delve into the mind of Riley, a 13-year-old girl, and accompany her on her new adventure of transitioning to middle school.
One of the most interesting things about the movie, which can be closely related to Aaron Beck's theory, known as one of the pioneers of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, is the representation of Riley's belief system.
The belief system, according to Beck, is, put simply, an internal system that functions like a map and allows us to make sense of the world around us. These beliefs are built through direct experience and are generalized throughout the subject's life. This system is basically composed of three distinct levels.
At a more superficial level, we find *Automatic Thoughts*. These are internal dialogues, brief or situational cognitions, that emerge in consciousness without the need for reasoning by the subject. They are somewhat beyond the subject's control. In the movie, they are well represented when we see "the stream of consciousness" through which a lot of images that seem unrelated or nonsensical at first glance but are triggered by particular situations flow. For example, when Riley eats a cereal bar she doesn't like and triggers all kinds of thoughts that "flow" through that stream. At a slightly more complex level, we find *Intermediate Beliefs*, which are related to certain rules or assumptions people have that guide their actions generally or the interpretations they make of events. These beliefs, as well depicted in the movie, are built from different experiences in Riley's life and are "fixed" in the mind through memories. Finally, we find *Core Beliefs*, which are represented in the movie as Riley's sense of "identity". These beliefs consist of fundamental and global judgments, evaluations, or definitions that human beings have about the world, others, and ourselves. They are precisely global and somewhat more rigid than the previous levels.
Beck proposes that an intrinsic vulnerability to develop psychopathology such as depression or anxiety is having a dysfunctional or maladaptive belief system. These systems lead the subject to generally make errors in information processing, which cognitive therapy calls cognitive biases or distortions. These would be interpretive errors with a negative tint. In the movie, artistically, Riley's mind is presented when it is governed by more anxious thoughts, or negative or catastrophic beliefs related to Riley's incompetence.
According to cognitive theory, this belief system can be challenged through various cognitive and behavioral techniques that help the person live a more adaptive life in line with their values. In the movie, it is observed how Riley's perspective on events and her actions change dramatically when the emotion *Anxiety* ceases to control the young girl's emotional command, and she manages to interpret the events differently, being able to reconcile with her friends.
In summary, while it obviously remains a movie, and not everything will be represented exactly, I believe Beck would have greatly enjoyed this film, and for psychologists who work from cognitive behavioral therapy, it provides a lot of material to use in sessions!
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