About

Aaron T. Beck is a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. His contact information includes an office located at Room 2032, 3535 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, with a phone number of 215-898-4102 and email abeck@mail.med.upenn.edu. The page indicates that he is recognized as a notable member of the faculty, with a memorial note indicating his passing. No additional details about his research focus, background, or key contributions are provided in the page text.

Research topics

• Psychotherapist
• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Clinical psychology
• Physical therapy
• Animal science
• Physiology
• Medicine
• Biology
• Cognitive psychology
• Mathematics
• Social psychology

Selected publications

• Keys to their Kingdom: Preliminary Evidence to Support the Role of Positive Beliefs in Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy for Negative Symptoms and Community Participation

  Schizophrenia Bulletin · 2025-10-21

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: Review studies find negative beliefs account for a small amount of the variance in negative symptoms and functioning. Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R) theory postulates positive beliefs as an additional causal factor. STUDY DESIGN: Two convenience datasets-including indices of beliefs, negative symptoms, positive symptoms, and community functioning-were utilized: a test-retest database (Study 1 and Study 2, n = 285); the CT-R condition of an RCT (Study 3, n = 31). STUDY RESULTS: Study 1 finds that positive and negative beliefs are independent and not highly correlated with each other at baseline (r = -0.4); an exploratory factor analysis also suggests this 2 factor solution. Study 2 finds significant prediction of positive beliefs at baseline with negative symptoms (β = -0.21; P = .001), and community functioning (β = 0.29; P = .002) 6 months later. Study 3 finds a significant correlation between increase in positive belief endorsement and improvement in community functioning in the CT-R condition across 24-months (r = 0.39, P < .05). The correlation between positive belief endorsement and negative symptom improvement was not statistically significant but showed a medium effect size (r = -0.26; P > .05). Change in positive beliefs were not significantly associated with positive symptom improvement. Negative beliefs were not significantly associated with change in any of the RCT outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The hypothesis that positive beliefs are related in the predicted direction to negative symptoms and functioning is supported, adding to an emerging literature. We point out the treatment implications of this result, utilizing CT-R theory, and discuss future research directions.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Comparison of the optimal risk-based design of planar RC frames with different aspect-ratios under progressive collapse

  2024-01-01

  articleOpen access

  A sudden failure of a single supporting element within a reinforced concrete (RC) frame can lead to a disproportionate collapse if the design lacks mechanisms to confine initial damage through resisting mechanisms.Given the substantial impact of uncertainties related to material properties and geometric parameters on these mechanisms, coupled with the high stakes associated with such failures, the risk-based optimization offers a practical approach to achieving a balance between cost-efficiency and safety.Besides, optimal risk-based design is strongly dependent on the structural configuration.This study exemplifies this approach by optimizing five RC frames under three scenarios of column removal on the first floor: middle column, penultimate column, and corner column.Design variables encompass cross-sectional depth, steel rebar areas, and concrete strength of beams and columns.Failure consequences are evaluated for both the intact structure and all column removal scenarios.Conducting a physical and geometrical nonlinear static analysis, sample points undergo bay pushdown analysis in OpenSees software.Addressing failure probabilities utilizes the Weighted Average Simulation Method, with risk optimization performed by the Firefly Algorithm.To mitigate computational costs arising from nonlinearities and a high number of required sample points, surrogates are used to quickly estimate limit states and reliability indexes.Results contrasts with the observed trend in Beck et al. [1], with optimal beam strengthening not varying in terms of the frame's aspect ratio.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Summary, Review, and Final Thoughts

  2022-03-30

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Introduction

  2022-03-30

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Insight

  Psychology Press eBooks · 2022-02-09

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Psychological Treatment in Schizophrenia

  Psychology Press eBooks · 2022-02-09 · 7 citations

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Reclaim Your Life From IBS

  2022-03-30 · 2 citations

  bookSenior author

  Reclaim Your Life from IBS teaches a number of skills that can directly reduce the impact of gastrointestinal symptoms in a person’s life. The book explores the differential diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the current scientific models of what causes IBS. It teaches the reader the cognitive model of stress management using cognitive-behavioral therapy and helps readers learn to identify their negative beliefs and reframe them more accurately. It also guides readers to reduce avoidance and helps them understand how to use dietary modifications and medications wisely, rather than reactively. In this second edition, numerous case examples throughout illustrate the application of these core CBT skills to IBS-related thoughts and experiences, and new material is included on exercise, diet, and medications. This book is a proven self-help book for people with IBS, as well as being useful as a treatment manual for clinicians who work with patients with IBS.

  PublisherDOI

• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy of Schizophrenia

  2022 · 15 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Psychology
  • Psychotherapist
  • Psychiatry

  Cognitive-behavioural therapy has been successfully employed in the treatment of such problems as depression, panic disorder and phobias. Providing an approach to patients with the most intractable problems, this book details the practical application of cognitive-behavioural therapy to the pervasive disorder of schizophrenia. The techniques described in this book, drawn from relevant theory and research, are designed to complement other treatments for schizophrenia, including medication, rehabilitation and family therapies.; Making a clear distinction between the diagnosis of schizophrenia and the debilitating label of insanity, the authors contend that people with this disorder are not inherently irrational but instead suffer from a circumscribed set of irrational beliefs. The book presents easily learned techniques that professionals can employ to help patients alleviate the impact of these beliefs, and start drawing upon the strengths and rationality they possess to improve their daily lives.; Illustrated with numerous case examples, this book describes how to: work with the person to construct credible explanations of distressing and disabling symptoms; explore the personal significance of life events and circumstances and their interactions with the person's strengths and vulnerabilities; introduce reality testing for hallucinations and delusions; disentangle thought Disorder And Ameliorate Negative Symptoms; And Demystify Psychotic symptoms for individuals and their families. The book also delineates the relationship of thought, identity, insight and coping strategies to schizophrenia.; This text should be of interest to professionals working with people suffering from schizophrenia - from psychologists, psychiatrists and residential care workers to social workers, occupational therapists and nursing staff - as well as to students in these fields.

  DOI

• What's Causing My Gut Symptoms?

  2022-03-30

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Negative thinking: Cognitive products and schema structures.

  American Psychological Association eBooks · 2022-12-15 · 6 citations

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant T32MH082745

  NIH · $1.2M · 2016

• NIH Grant R01MH067805

  NIH · $1.3M · 2008

• NIH Grant R01MH060915

  NIH · $1.1M · 2004

• NIH Grant R37MH047383

  NIH · $2.9M · 2003

• NIH Grant R01MH038843

  NIH · $472k · 1990

Frequent coauthors

• Robert A. Steer

  Rowan University

  114 shared

• Shannon Wiltsey Stirman

  National Center for PTSD

  89 shared

• Arthur C. Evans

  75 shared

• Paul Crits‐Christoph

  University of Pennsylvania

  59 shared

• Katherine Toder

  54 shared

• Regina Xhezo

  53 shared

• Gregory K. Brown

  California University of Pennsylvania

  45 shared

• Torrey A. Creed

  University of Pennsylvania

  40 shared

Education

• M.D.

  University of Pennsylvania