This cognitive distortion is also known by black-and-white thinking, which reflects its tendency to view situations in extremes like “success” or “failure.”
This distortion involves rejecting compliments or achievements by insisting they are insignificant or undeserved.
What is Disqualifying the Positive?
"They didn’t wave back at me because they think I’m annoying."
What is mind-reading?
This term refers to the process where a person needs more of a substance over time to achieve the same effect.
What is Tolerance?
This wizarding sport from the "Harry Potter" series involves chasing a golden ball called the Snitch.
What is quidditch?
The end of a shoelace that keeps that lace from fraying and makes it easier to weave through.
What is an Aglet?
This distortion involves predicting the future negatively without any factual basis.
What is Fortune-telling?
This distortion involves applying the outcome of one event to all future events, often using words like “always” or “never.”
What is overgeneralization?
"I didn’t get hired for this job, so no one will ever hire me."
What is an overgeneralization?
What is inhalation?
This classical composer became deaf later in life yet still composed famous works like his 9th Symphony.
The first civilization to use a 365-day calendar.
Who are the Egyptians?
This distortion focuses exclusively on negative details while ignoring any positive aspects of a situation.
What is Mental Filtering?
This distortion, also called magnification, involves expecting the worst possible outcome, often exaggerating its likelihood.
What is catastrophizing? (Magnification or Minimization)
"They said I looked great today, but they were probably just being polite."
What is Disqualifying the Positive?
This learning process, often linked to addiction, occurs when behaviors are reinforced by rewards or punished by negative consequences.
What is Operant Conditioning?
In Greek mythology, this titan was condemned to hold up the heavens for eternity.
Who is Atlas?
Upon discovering this principle while bathing Archimedes yelled, "Eureka!" Then streaked through the streets of Greece. (not the Archimedes' Principle)
What is buoyancy?
This distortion involves assuming you know what others are thinking, often inaccurately, and without evidence.
What is Mind Reading?
This distortion involves attaching a fixed, negative label to oneself or others, often based on a single event.
What is Labeling?
"My coworker seemed upset today—it must be because of something I did."
What is Personalization?
This class of medications, which includes methadone and buprenorphine, is used to treat opioid addiction by reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms without the euphoric high.
What is an opioid agonist?
This flightless bird from New Zealand is known for its small wings and nocturnal habits.
This ancient kingdom, located in modern-day Sudan, rivaled Egypt and was known for its pyramids at Meroë. Also, a modern slang word for cannabis.
What is Kush?
In this distortion, a person blames themselves for events outside their control, often leading to feelings of guilt.
This distortion leads someone to believe their feelings define reality, such as thinking “I feel worthless, so I must be worthless.”
What is Emotional Reasoning?
"I’m going to fail this test, so there’s no point in studying."
What is Fortune Telling?
This brain region, part of the limbic system, is heavily involved in reward processing and is often hijacked by addictive substances.
What is the Nucleus accumbens?
Built to honor France’s military victories, this iconic Parisian monument stands at the western end of the Champs-Élysées.
What is the Arc de Triomphe?
This language, spoken in a Nordic country, is part of the Uralic language family and is unrelated to most European languages.
What is Finnish?