Final answer:
Cognitive therapy is effective in treating mental disorders because it focuses on altering dysfunctional thinking patterns that influence emotional states and behavior, rather than relying on medication, unconscious processes, or prioritizing cultural factors.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the ABC model of cognitive therapy, the effectiveness of this treatment for mental disorders lies in its focus on altering dysfunctional thinking patterns. The 'A' stands for the activating event, 'B' represents beliefs, and 'C' is the consequence. The therapy helps patients by changing their beliefs (B), which in turn influences their emotional and behavioral consequences (C). Cognitive therapy is effective because it addresses the way individuals interpret and give meaning to events, and thus, influences their emotional states and behavior. It doesn't emphasize medication (this would be more related to biologically-based treatments), rely on unconscious processes (more characteristic of psychoanalytical approaches), or prioritize cultural factors in therapy (which would be more related to multicultural counseling approaches).
Research by Beck, A. T., among others, has demonstrated that cognitive therapy is particularly effective for conditions such as depression, as supported by studies like the one by DeRubeis, R. J., et al., which compared cognitive therapy with medications. The empirical status of cognitive-behavioral therapy has been reviewed in various meta-analyses, one by Butlera, A. C., et al., confirming its effectiveness. Therefore, the most accurate answer to the student's question is a) It focuses on affect, behavior, and cognition simultaneously.