Guess the Thinking Error
Janelle is caught touching her younger brother's private parts. When her dad asks her what she has done, she explains, "But I only touched him a little to see if he peed his pants.
Minimizing
Amanda leaves her backpack at home. When she gets to school she tells her teacher that her dad took her mom's car to work, and the backpack was in her mom's car.
Justifying or Excuse Making
Billy is tired after baseball practice. When his mom asks him to do the dinner dishes, he complains that he can't do it because he's too sore.
Justifying or Excuse Making
Bob needs help with some homework. When he asks the teacher for help, she tells him to wait his turn. Bob feels ignored and insists that his teacher help him right away. The teacher explains that others are ahead of him. Bob tells the teacher that he needs help now and demands that she stop what she's doing and help him.
Me, Me, Me
Melissa has an important assignment due tomorrow. When she gets home from school, she tells herself that she'll do it later. She then plays a game on her Xbox until dinner is ready. After dinner, she feels tired so she watches tv, thinking to herself that she will do her assignment early the next morning. The next day, she wakes up late and rushes to school. In her class she feels ashamed and embarrassed because she didn't do her homework.
Susan is asked to turn in her homework. She responds by saying, "I forgot it. I was too tired."
The diminished-capacity syndrome
Joey goes to school one day and is given an extra assignment by the teacher. He complains loudly, "Why are you doing this to me? You are picking on me."
Victim Stance
Alex gets angry at her mom and tells her that she never lets her go to her friend's house and that she always favors her older sister.
Universals
Joey is asked by his counselor if he had completed his treatment work. John says no and explains that he was too busy doing other things and didn't have time.
The "I didn't have time" excuse
OR
Justifying/Excuse Making
William sees a large bag of candy on the kitchen counter and takes it to his room. Much of the candy is chocolate and he has chocolate on his face after eating it. When his dad comes into his room and confronts him about the candy, William says that he has not seen the candy and he did not take it.
Lying OR denial
A 12-year-old girl named Lily goes to take out the garbage because it is her assigned chore. After taking out the garbage, she returns to the house and sits down on her bed to read a book, rather than take the time to put another bag in the trash can. When her mom asks why there is no bag in the trash can, Lily says, "I don't know."
Lying OR "I don't know"