An example of all-or-nothing thinking is illustrated by Jon's reaction after being turned down for a date. He immediately generalizes the single event into an absolute belief, thinking, 'No one will ever go out with me. I’m going to be alone forever.' This extreme conclusion, which ignores any other possibilities, results in him feeling anxious and sad about his future.

Example of All-or-Nothing Thinking

All-or-nothing thinking is a cognitive distortion, frequently observed in individuals with depression, that involves viewing situations in absolute, black-or-white terms. This thinking pattern disregards nuance, categorizing experiences as either entirely good or entirely bad, without acknowledging any middle ground.

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Cognitive distortions are specific, maladaptive, and automatic patterns of thinking where an individual misinterprets a situation, often leading to emotional distress. A primary goal in cognitive-behavioral therapy is to identify and challenge these errors in thinking. Common examples of cognitive distortions include all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralization, and jumping to conclusions.

Cognitive Distortions

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Examples of cognitive distortions include overgeneralization and catastrophizing. Overgeneralization occurs when a person draws a broad, negative conclusion based on a single event, such as feeling worthless after failing one test. Catastrophizing, or blowing things out of proportion, involves expecting the worst possible outcome from a situation, like assuming that failing one test will lead to failing the entire course and dropping out of college.

Examples of Cognitive Distortions

Overgeneralization is a cognitive distortion where a person takes a single negative event and turns it into a universal pattern, making it seem much larger than it is. For example, after being turned down by one person, an individual might overgeneralize by thinking, 'I am ugly, a loser, and no one is ever going to be interested in me,' instead of viewing it as an isolated incident.

Overgeneralization

All-or-Nothing Thinking

Jumping to conclusions is a cognitive distortion characterized by assuming that others are thinking or reacting negatively towards you, despite a lack of supporting evidence for this belief.

Jumping to Conclusions

Read the scenario below. Analyze the individual's thought process, explaining how their interpretation of the situation represents a maladaptive thinking pattern and how this pattern likely contributes to their emotional distress.

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