Externalizing is a common cognitive distortion whereby individuals blame others for negative events and deny personal responsibility.
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.
The Externalizing information handout is part of the cognitive distortions series, designed to support therapists and clients in addressing common thinking biases. It offers insights into the externalizing cognitive distortion, helping therapists and clients identify, understand, and address unhelpful style of thinking.
Understanding and addressing cognitive distortions is a key component of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This resource facilitates:
Anger and aggression associated with blaming others for negative events.
Blaming others for traumatic experiences.
Strained connections due to a refusal to accept responsibility.
Provide psychoeducation on cognitive distortions and their impact
Help clients recognize instances where they externalize.
Encourage clients to identify instances of externalizing thoughts.
Tackle externalizing thoughts using interventions such as costs-benefits analysis.
Cognitive distortions, cognitive biases, or ‘unhelpful thinking styles’ are the characteristic ways our thoughts become biased (Beck, 1963). Catching automatic thoughts and (re)appraising them is a core component of traditional cognitive therapy (Beck et al., 1979; Beck, 1995; Kennerley, Kirk, Westbrook, 2007). Identifying the presence and nature of cognitive biases is often a helpful way of introducing this concept – clients are usually quick to appreciate and identify with the concept of ‘unhelpful thinking styles’, and can easily be trained to notice the presence of biases in their own automatic thoughts.
Externalization (also referred to as ‘other-blame’, ‘personalized blame’, and ‘defensive attribution’) describes a style of thinking whereby individuals blame others for negative events and deny personal responsibility. It is often assumed that external attributions for negative outcomes are healthy, as they help to buffer self-esteem. However, external attributions can also be maladaptive. Many studies indicate that blaming others for negative events is associated with reduced health and well-being (Tennen & Affleck, 1990). For instance, individuals who blame others for chronic pain experience greater pain and distress than those who do not (DeGood & Kiernan, 1993).
The handout provides practical guidance for identifying, monitoring, and addressing externalizing thoughts when they occur.
