Cognitive Distortions & Thought Patterns Flashcards
7 cards from real CBT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Cognitive Distortions & Thought Patterns flashcards as text
What cognitive distortion involves drawing broad negative conclusions from a single event?
Answer: Overgeneralization
Overgeneralization occurs when a person draws sweeping conclusions about their life based on one isolated incident.
Which cognitive distortion involves assuming you know what others are thinking without direct evidence?
Answer: Mind reading
Mind reading is the distortion where a person concludes what others are thinking, typically negatively, without actual evidence.
'Black-and-white thinking' is another common term for which cognitive distortion?
Answer: Dichotomous thinking
Dichotomous thinking, also called black-and-white or all-or-nothing thinking, involves seeing situations in only two extreme categories with no middle ground.
When a client assigns a global negative label to themselves such as 'I'm a complete failure' based on one mistake, this is an example of:
Answer: Labeling
Labeling involves attaching a fixed, global negative identity label to oneself or others based on specific behaviors or events.
Which cognitive distortion involves focusing exclusively on negative details while filtering out positive aspects of a situation?
Answer: Mental filter
The mental filter distortion causes a person to dwell exclusively on one negative detail so that their entire perception of reality becomes darkened.
A client who believes 'If I make a single error at work, I will definitely lose my job' is primarily demonstrating which cognitive distortion?
Answer: Catastrophizing
Catastrophizing involves predicting extreme negative outcomes and treating them as inevitable when there is no reasonable evidence to support such a conclusion.
In CBT, 'emotional reasoning' as a cognitive distortion means assuming that:
Answer: Negative feelings reflect objective reality about oneself or the world
Emotional reasoning is the distortion where a person takes their emotions as proof of truth, concluding that because they feel something strongly, it must be factually accurate.