Personalizing
Personalizing is a common cognitive distortion whereby individuals assume that situations are related to themselves, especially negative ones.
Personalizing
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) suggests that our thoughts influence how we feel and how we act. However, some of our thoughts can be biased. Recognizing these ‘cognitive distortions’ or ‘unhelpful thinking styles’ can help you judge how accurate and useful your automatic thoughts are. This tool will introduce you to a common distortion called personalizing.
Overview
Cognitive distortions, cognitive biases, or ‘unhelpful thinking styles’ are characteristic ways in which our thoughts can become biased (Beck, 1963). Personalizing (also referred to as “self-reference”) is a style of thinking in which individuals interpret events in a self-referential manner (Beck, 1979; Branch & Willson, 2020). Typically, these judgments are negatively self-orientated and evoke distress. At its most extreme, personalized thinking can contribute to persecutory delusions and ideas of reference.
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