Checklist of Cognitive Distortions

Which cognitive distortion is described as: 'You look at things in absolute, black and white categories.'?

• All or nothing thinking

• Catastrophizing

• Overgeneralization

• Emotional reasoning

Which cognitive distortion is described as: 'You view a negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.'?

• Overgeneralization

• Catastrophizing

• Personalization

• Mental filtering

Which cognitive distortion is described as: 'You dwell on the negatives and ignore the positives.'?

• Mental Filter

• Catastrophizing

• Personalization

• Overgeneralization

Which cognitive distortion is described as: 'You insist that your accomplishments or positive qualities “don’t count.”'?

• Discounting the positives

• Catastrophizing

• Mind reading

• All-or-nothing thinking

Which cognitive distortion is described as: '(A) Mind reading – you assume that people are reacting negatively to you when there’s no definite evidence for this; (B) Fortune Telling – you arbitrarily predict things will turn out badly.'?

• Jumping to conclusions

• Emotional reasoning

• Catastrophizing

• Personalization

Which cognitive distortion is described as: 'You blow things way out of proportion or you shrink their importance inappropriately.'?

• Magnification or Minimization

• Catastrophizing

• Personalization

• Overgeneralization

Which cognitive distortion is described as: 'You reason from how you feel: “I feel like an idiot, so I really must be one.” Or “I don’t feel like doing this, so I’ll put it off.”'?

• Emotional Reasoning

• Catastrophizing

• All-or-Nothing Thinking

• Overgeneralization

Which cognitive distortion is described as: 'You criticize yourself or other people with “Shoulds” or “Shouldn’ts.” “Musts,” “Oughts,” “Have tos” are similar offenders.'?

• “Should Statements”

• Catastrophizing

• Personalization

• Overgeneralization

Which cognitive distortion is described as: 'You identify with your shortcomings. Instead of saying, “I made a mistake,” you tell yourself, “I’m a jerk,” or “a fool,” or “a loser.”'?

• Labeling

• Catastrophizing

• Mental Filtering

• Personalization

Which cognitive distortion is described as: 'You blame yourself for something you weren’t entirely responsible for, or you blame other people and overlook ways that your own attitudes and behavior might contribute to a problem.'?

• Personalization and Blame

• Catastrophizing

• Overgeneralization

• Emotional Reasoning