Cognitive Distortions
Definitions
True/False
Examples
Holiday Trivia
100
Define cognitive distortions.
Something along the lines of:
Exaggerated patterns of thought that are not based on facts.
These thoughts could make us feel bad about ourselves, anxious, or even miserable.
100
The belief that certain acts or items will have an influence on the outcome of unrelated situations.
a) personalization
b) magical thinking
c) jumping to conclusions
b) Magical Thinking
100
True/False: Disqualifying the positive builds character.
False.
Denying the positives of a situation only makes the individual feel less than others, and they choose to accept negative criticism/responses about themselves.
100
By wearing his lucky t-shirt, Robert thinks he will be lucky enough to win the lottery. This is an example of which cognitive distortion.
Magical Thinking
100
What meat is the most popular alternative to Turkey on thanksgiving?
Ham
200
What is an example of an automatic negative thought?
Something along the lines of: **these are very general**
- Why did I do that?
- This always happens to me.
- What's wrong with me?
- I don't think I will ever be good enough.
200
The belief that things should be a certain way.
"I should always be friendly."
a) fortune telling
b) mind reading
c) "should" statements
c) "Should" statements
When we say "should" statements, it leaves room for us to feel guilty if we don't live up to those ideas, or angry if others tend to go against our set of rules where people "should" do certain things.
200
True/False: Catastrophizing can make someone feel anxious.
True.
Catastrophizing is when someone sees only the worst possible outcomes of a situation. This can make someone feel anxious when thinking of bad things that could happen.
200
What if my alarm doesn't go off? What if I'm late for an important work meeting? What if I get fired after I've worked so hard for this job? This is an example of which cognitive distortion?
Catastrophizing
200
Eating KFC on Christmas Day has been a tradition since the 1970s in what nation on the other side of the world from Kentucky?
Japan
300
Does everyone experience cognitive distortions? Why or why not?
Yes, everyone experiences cognitive distortions to some degree. If they are extreme, they can be more harmful to an individual's mental, emotional and physical health (yes they are all connected!)
300
Thinking in absolutes, or black-and-white thinking.
a) all-or-nothing thinking
b) disqualifying the positive
c) emotional reasoning
a) All-or-Nothing Thinking
This is when we say things like "always", "never", or "every". We refuse to notice the middle ground/gray area of thinking.
ex: "I will never do a good enough job on anything."
300
True/False: If your partner comes home from work in a bad mood, it must mean they are mad at you.
False!
You will not know how someone else is feeling or thinking unless you ask them. If you jump to conclusions or try to mind-read someone else's thoughts/beliefs without evidence, you do not know the truth of the situation.
300
Jordan's boss told him he did such a thorough job on his project, and he chose to discredit his hard work by saying anyone else is capable of doing the same thing. This is an example of which cognitive distortion?
Disqualifying the positive
300
On what day will the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting occur in 2023?
November 29th:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/TAL-header-rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-NYCXMASTREE1122-d998aa6a72204bcc9e2940614123c10c.jpg)
400
What can you do to change thinking negatively?
Something along the lines of:
- Journal about your negative thoughts.
- Understand why you are having the thoughts (triggers, situations, etc)
- Practice mindfulness/ engage in self-care
- Have evidence for thinking negative
400
Exaggerating or downplaying the importance of events.
a) catastrophizing
b) magnification/minimization
c) overgeneralization
b) Magnification and Minimization
Someone might believe their achievements are not important, or that their mistakes are excessively important.
400
True/False: Mind reading is the same as fortune telling.
False!
- Mind Reading: relates to interpreting the thoughts/beliefs of others without evidence.
- Fortune Telling: relates to interpreting that a situation will turn out badly without evidence.
400
Your friend is talking about their personal beliefs regarding parenting, and you take their words as an attack against your parenting style. This is an example of which cognitive distortion?
Personalization
400
What is the traditional food and drink left for Santa on Christmas Eve?
Milk and cookies (a meme for the dads of the group)
500
How can you challenge having cognitive distortions?
Something along the lines of:
- Identify the cognitive distortion: sit with yourself and try to recognize when you are thinking differently.
- Look for evidence: is there any evidence support the way you are thinking? Try to search for it to validate the thought, if there is none, try to tell yourself the thought is intrusive.v
- No more "should" and "shouldn't" thoughts: thinking in shoulds and shouldn't makes you feel the thought or action can be put off, or is not a definite thing. Telling yourself more affirming things can be more encouraging to do them.
- Reframe negative thinking: if you find yourself catastrophizing or minimizing situations, try to think of the positives surrounding it, and challenge thoughts like "I can't do it" to "I can try my best to do it".
500
The assumption that your emotions reflect the way things are really meant to be.
a) fortune telling
b) emotional reasoning
c) personalization
b) Emotional Reasoning.
Thinking with your emotions leads you to believe that the way you feel is reality-- another example:
Your co-worker says something that makes you feel angry. You then feel that that person is treating you poorly.
500
True/False: There are no ways to fix cognitive distortions and their severity.
False! Using the word "no" implies that it can never be fixed.
There are ways to fix cognitive distortions, such as recognizing them and choosing to reframe that thought or behavior over time. Talking about any issues helps bring clarity as well.
500
"You never ask how I'm feeling", "You always raise your voice at me", and "It will always be this bad since nothing good ever happens" are examples of which cognitive distortion?
All-or-nothing thinking (black and white thinking)
500
How long does it take to inflate one Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon?
90 minutes.
** fun fact, it only takes 15 minutes to deflate**