Cognitive Distortions Flashcards
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Magnification and Minimization:
Exaggerating or minimizing the importance of events. One might believe their own achievements are unimportant, or that their mistakes are excessively important.
Catastrophizing:
Seeing only the worst possible outcomes of a situation.
Overgeneralization:
Making broad interpretations from a single or few events. “I felt awkward during my job interview. I am always so awkward.”
Magical Thinking:
The belief that acts will influence unrelated situations. “I am a good person—bad things shouldn’t happen to me.”
This will just go away by itself
Pretend the problem does not exist
Personalization:
The belief that one is responsible for events outside of their own control. “My mom is always upset. She would be fine if I did more to help her.”
Jumping to Conclusions:
Interpreting the meaning of a situation with little or no evidence.
Mind Reading:
Interpreting the thoughts and beliefs of others without adequate evidence. “She would not go on a date with me. She probably thinks I’m ugly.”
Fortune Telling:
The expectation that a situation will turn out badly without adequate evidence.
Emotional Reasoning:
The assumption that emotions reflect the way things really are. “I feel like a bad friend, therefore I must be a bad friend.”
Disqualifying the Positive:
Recognizing only the negative aspects of a situation while ignoring the positive. One might receive many compliments on an evaluation, but focus on the single piece of negative feedback.
“Should” Statements:
The belief that things should be a certain way. “I should always be friendly.”
All-or-Nothing Thinking:
Thinking in absolutes such as “always”, “never”, or “every”. “I never do a good enough job on anything.”
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