This resource introduces a common cognitive distortion known as "disqualifying others," whereby individuals discount information that comes from other people.
Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
Includes client-friendly guidance. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
Cognitive distortions, cognitive biases, or ‘unhelpful thinking styles’ are the characteristic ways our thoughts become biased (Beck, 1963). Disqualifying others is a common style of thinking where individuals discount the things other people say or do. This Disqualifying Others information handout forms part of the cognitive distortions series, designed to help clients and therapists to work more effectively with common thinking biases.
Disqualifying others is a common cognitive distortion. By using this resource, therapists can help clients identify this unhelpful thinking style and address it.
Clients who dismiss compliments and praise.
Clients who disqualify others to devalue them.
Clients who discount positive social feedback.
Clients who disqualify other people's positive intentions.
Explain what cognitive distortions are.
Explore whether the client relates to disqualifying others.
Encourage the client to notice when they disqualify others.
Use techniques such as costs-benefits analysis to address this thinking style.
Catching automatic thoughts and re-evaluating them is a fundamental aspect of traditional cognitive therapy (Beck et al., 1979; Beck, 1995; Kennerley, Kirk, Westbrook, 2007). Identifying cognitive biases can be an effective way to introduce this concept to clients, who often quickly recognize and relate to the idea of "unhelpful thinking styles." Clients can be trained to notice these biases in their own automatic thoughts. Once they identify these biases, they can learn to evaluate the accuracy of their automatic thoughts and arrive at new conclusions.
One common thinking style is disqualifying others, where individuals dismiss information provided by others. Many therapists encounter clients who disregard positive feedback by believing that people are "just being nice" or "don't really know me" (Gilbert, 1998). Unfortunately, these disqualifications can reinforce negative beliefs even when there is overwhelming contrary evidence or positive interactions. In essence, disqualifying others prevents individuals from learning from their interpersonal experiences.
Research suggests that disqualifying others exists on a continuum. At one end, individuals tend to doubt the positive messages they receive from others. At the other end, individuals may develop rigid beliefs about the malicious or persecutory intentions of others, leading to widespread mistrust and paranoia. Studies have shown that individuals with paranoia and psychosis often distrust others (Ellett et al., 2013; Prasannakumar et al., 2022). Furthermore, those experiencing psychosis have difficulty adjusting their trust behaviors based on evidence that indicates the trustworthiness of others (Fett et al., 2012).
