Emotional Reasoning: When Feelings Become Facts

Emotions are important. They provide valuable information, direct our attention, and motivate action. For instance, fear can signal a threat to safety, sadness can communicate that something important has been lost, and anger can indicate a perceived violation. However, our emotional responses are often influenced by cognitions that may not fit with reality. When feelings are treated as factual evidence (rather than a source of information), they can reinforce distressing interpretations, avoidance, and instinctive decision-making.

What is emotional reasoning?

Cognitive distortions, cognitive biases, or ‘unhelpful thinking styles’ are the characteristic ways our thoughts become biased (Beck, 1963). Emotional reasoning (also referred to as “ex-consequentia reasoning” or “feeling-driven thinking”) is a common cognitive distortion associated with selective abstraction. Specifically, it is an interpretation in which individuals make predictions or draw conclusions based on their feelings, intuitions, or hunches (Tolin, 2016). Examples include:

• “I feel afraid, so there must be danger present.”

• “I feel hopeless, so the situation must be hopeless.”

• “It feels good, so it must be OK to do.”

• “This feels like the right loan to take out.”

Emotional reasoning can be misleading because emotional responses are influenced by cognitions, which may not fit with reality (Burns, 2020). Accordingly, individuals who engage in emotional reasoning are often inclined to make interpretations which are “emotionally appealing rather than logically derived” (Williams et al., 2022, p.276).

Burns (2020) distinguishes between positive and negative forms of emotional reasoning. Positive emotional reasoning involves basing judgments on positive emotions, such as believing that a bet will be successful because one feels lucky. This can encourage unnecessary risk-taking. Negative emotional reasoning involves drawing conclusions from distressing emotions, such as assuming one is worthless because one feels worthless. This can contribute to withdrawal and unnecessary avoidance.

Why feelings can seem like facts

Several features of our emotional experiences make feeling-driven thinking convincing.

Feelings are believable. Because emotions are experienced directly and internally, they often seem important and compelling (Clore & Gasper, 2000). Their immediacy and intensity can make them feel like an accurate perception of reality rather than a response that is shaped by our appraisals.

Feelings direct attention. Emotions guide attention toward information that is consistent with our emotional state. For example, when people feel anxious, threatening stimuli are often selectively attended to. This can seem to confirm danger-related appraisals that generate anxiety.

Feelings increase the credibility of interpretations. Emotions can enhance the credibility of information and the inferences we make. They may also increase the perceived likelihood that our interpretations are true (Frijda & Mesquita, 2000).

Why emotional reasoning matters clinically

Emotional reasoning can be particularly problematic in psychological disorders because of the distress that accompanies these difficulties. For example, individuals who struggle with anxiety are likely to believe this emotion signals danger (e.g., “I feel anxious, so something bad is going to happen”). On the other hand, individuals with depression are likely to view their low mood as affirmative (e.g., “I feel depressed, so my life must be pointless”).

Other difficulties where emotional reasoning can be pronounced include bipolar disorder (Kramer et al., 2009), panic disorder (Arntz et al., 1995), phobias (Arntz et al., 1995), post-traumatic stress disorder (Najavits et al., 2004), and social anxiety (Kuru et al., 2018).

Six clinical tips for working with emotional reasoning

1. Validate emotions without validating conclusions.

Emotions contain important information, but they are not necessarily accurate reflections of external reality. Encourage clients to consider feelings alongside other sources of information rather than dismissing them or treating them as definitive evidence.

2. Encourage decentering.

Decentering involves viewing a thought as a cognitive event rather than a fact (Flavell, 1979). Clients can practice labelling their thoughts rather than becoming absorbed in their content (e.g., “I’m thinking with my feelings”).

3. Use thought records to examine the evidence.

Thought records can be used to capture emotional reasoning and re-evaluate it as it occurs. Useful questions include:

• “What evidence supports and does not support this judgment?”

• “Am I basing this conclusion on feelings or facts?”

• “How would I view this situation if I was feeling calmer or more hopeful?”

• “How might someone else who felt calm and confident interpret this situation?”

4. Explore the costs and benefits.

Help clients examine the advantages and disadvantages of relying on emotional reasoning. For example, some clients may believe that their instincts keep them safe. Exploring whether this strategy has been useful (including instances when it has caused problems) can lead to a more balanced appraisal.

5. Look for retrospective mismatches.

Ask the client to recall past episodes of emotional reasoning and compare the prediction with what subsequently occurred. Highlighting a mismatch between feeling-driven thoughts and reality can challenge their perceived accuracy and usefulness (Wells, 1997).

6. Revisit conclusions after the emotion changes.

Help the client shift into a calmer emotional state or allow the feeling to pass before re-evaluating the original interpretation. Techniques such as breathing exercises or guided imagery can help with this. Once the distress has lessened, the therapist and client can explore whether their conclusions have changed too.

Frequently asked questions

1. Is emotional reasoning always unhelpful?

No. Emotions can highlight what is important and prompt rapid action. Emotional reasoning may be useful when urgent decisions are required. However, difficulties can arise when a slower, more deliberate appraisal is needed or feelings are treated as conclusive evidence.

2. Is emotional reasoning the same as experiencing a strong emotion?

No. Emotional reasoning refers to interpretations based on emotions, not the presence or intensity of the emotion itself. For example, a person can feel afraid without concluding that danger is present.

3. Should CBT therapists encourage clients to disregard their feelings?

No. Feelings are an important source of information and guidance. The aim is to help clients value their emotions while also interpreting the information they provide with facts, context, and alternative explanations.

4. What dysfunctional assumptions may be linked to emotional reasoning?

Relevant assumptions may include “My feelings are an accurate reflection of reality” and “I should always trust my instincts.” Healthier alternatives include “Feelings are one source of information” and “Gut reactions are not always accurate.”

Key references

• Arntz, A., Rauner, M., & Van den Hout, M. (1995). “If I feel anxious, there must be danger”: Ex-consequentia reasoning in inferring danger in anxiety disorders. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33, 917–925.

• Beck, A. T. (1963). Thinking and depression: I. Idiosyncratic content and cognitive distortions. Archives of General Psychiatry, 9, 324–333.

• Burns, D. D. (2020). Feeling great: The revolutionary new treatment for depression and anxiety. PESI Publishing.

• Clore, G. L., & Gasper, K. (2000). Feeling is believing: Some affective influences on belief. In N. H. Frijda, A. S. R. Manstead, & S. Bem (Eds.), Emotions and beliefs: How feelings influence thoughts (pp. 10–44). Cambridge University Press.

• Flavell, J. H. (1979). Metacognition and cognitive monitoring: A new area of cognitive-developmental inquiry. American Psychologist, 34, 906.

• Frijda, N. H., & Mesquita, B. (2000). Beliefs through emotions. In N. H. Frijda, A. S. R. Manstead, & S. Bem (Eds.), Emotions and beliefs: How feelings influence thoughts (pp. 45–77). Cambridge University Press.

• Gilbert, P. (1998). The evolved basis and adaptive functions of cognitive distortions. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 71, 447–463.

• Tolin, D. F. (2016). Doing CBT: A comprehensive guide to working with behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. Guilford Press.

• Wells, A. (1997). Cognitive therapy of anxiety disorders: A practice manual and conceptual guide. John Wiley and Sons.