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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

  1. Which technique is most commonly used in CBT to challenge automatic negative thoughts by asking guided questions?

    Answer: Socratic questioning

    Socratic questioning guides clients to examine the logic, evidence, and alternatives related to their automatic negative thoughts rather than accepting them at face value.

  2. In Ellis's rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) ABC model, the 'B' component stands for:

    Answer: Belief

    In the ABC model, 'B' stands for Belief — the individual's cognitive interpretation of the activating event — which drives the emotional and behavioral consequence.

  3. The cognitive distortion of 'personalization' is best described as:

    Answer: Taking excessive personal responsibility for external events outside one's control

    Personalization involves incorrectly attributing external negative events to oneself, assuming excessive blame or responsibility without sufficient cause.

  4. 'Fortune telling' as a cognitive distortion is most accurately described as:

    Answer: Predicting negative outcomes as if they were established facts

    Fortune telling involves anticipating that things will turn out badly and treating this prediction as an already-confirmed fact, which reinforces anxiety and avoidance.

  5. When a belief therapist helps a client systematically examine evidence for and against a belief, this process is called:

    Answer: Cognitive restructuring

    Cognitive restructuring is the process of identifying distorted thoughts, evaluating evidence, and replacing them with more balanced, realistic alternatives.

  6. The cognitive distortion of 'should statements' most commonly produces which emotional outcome in clients?

    Answer: Feelings of guilt, shame, or resentment

    Should statements create rigid rules about how oneself or others must behave, leading to guilt when directed inward and resentment or frustration when directed outward.

  7. The cognitive distortion of 'magnification' is best characterized by:

    Answer: Exaggerating the significance of problems, mistakes, or imperfections

    Magnification, sometimes called 'catastrophizing' when applied to future events, involves blowing the importance or impact of errors and flaws out of proportion.