Thinking Errors
Viewing things as either all good or all bad with no middle ground.
What is all or nothing thinking? (black/white thinking)
"I got a B on my test. My life is ruined, and I'm a total failure."
What is catastrophizing (or magnification)?
A strategy to combat "all or nothing" thinking by acknowledging small triumphs.
What is focusing on progress instead of perfection?
A movie character who believes one social slip-up means they are an "awkward loser" for life.
What is labeling?
True or false: Thinking errors are always based on reliable facts.
What is false?
Taking one negative event and assuming it will always happen that way in the future.
What is overgeneralization?
A teen thinks their friend not texting back immediately means the friend is ignoring or mad at them.
What is jumping to conclusions?
The technique of asking, "Is this really true all the time?" to challenge a broad, negative belief.
What is looking at the evidence?
A news headline that blows a minor local incident out of proportion, making it seem like a national crisis.
What is magnification (or catastrophizing)?
True or false: Everyone experiences negative thoughts and thinking errors sometimes.
What is true?
Focusing only on the negative aspects of a situation while ignoring all of the positives.
What is a mental filter?
A student receives a standing ovation for a presentation but only focuses on the one word they stumbled over.
What is mental filter?
The practice of listing positive aspects of a situation, even when one thing went wrong.
What is focusing on the good?
A social media post that ignores hundreds of positive comments to focus solely on one negative one.
What is a mental filter (or filtering)?
True or false: Recognizing a thinking error makes it disappear immediately.
What is false? (It takes practice to change them.)
Assuming you know what others are thinking without any real evidence.
What is jumping to conclusions (or mind reading)?
After being cut from a sports team, a teen thinks, "I'm terrible at everything and will never succeed in anything."
What is overgeneralization?
The strategy of asking a trusted friend or family member for their side of the story.
What is getting a second opinion?
An influencer who says, "I should always be productive and never relax."
What are "should statements"?
True or false: Emotional reasoning means your feelings are always accurate representations of reality.
What is false?
Believing that you are the sole cause of negative events, even if other factors were involved.
What is personalization?
"I feel like a bad person, so I must be a bad person."
What is emotional reasoning?
The act of treating yourself with the same kindness and understanding you would offer a friend.
What is self-compassion?
A character in a book who blames themselves for their parents' divorce.
What is personalization (or blaming)?
True or false: Challenging these thoughts can help you see situations more clearly and feel better.
What is true?