15 Cognitive Errors (Beck, 1976 site in TIP 34)

Other Treatment Improvement Protocols (TIPs) that are relevant to these KAP Keys: 

TIP 25, Substance Abuse Treatment and Domestic Violence (1997) SMA 08-4076 

TIP 26, Substance Abuse Among Older Adults (1998) SMA 08-3918 

TIP 29, Substance Use Disorder Treatment for People with Physical and Cognitive Disabilities (1998) SMA 08-4078 

TIP 32, Treatment of Adolescents With Substance Use Disorders (1999) SMA 08-4080 

TIP 35, Enhancing Motivation for Change in Substance Abuse Treatment (1999) SMA 08-4212 

Beck's 15 Cognitive Errors (Beck, 1976 site in TIP 34)

1. Filtering: 

Taking negative details and magnifying them, while filtering out all positive aspects of a situation 

1. Polarized thinking: 

Thinking of things as black or white, good or bad, perfect or failure, with no middle ground 

1. Overgeneralization: 

Jumping to a general conclusion based on a single incident or piece of evidence. Expecting something bad to happen over and over again if one bad thing occurs 

1. Mind reading: 

Thinking that you know, without any external proof, what people are feeling and why they act the way they do; believing you can tell how others feel about you 

1. Catastrophizing: 

Expecting disaster; hearing about a problem and then automatically considering the possible negative consequences (e.g. "What if it happens to me?") 

1. Personalization: 

Thinking that everything people do or say is some kind of reaction to you; comparing yourself to others, trying to determine who's smarter or better looking 

1. Control fallacy: 

Feeling externally controlled (helpless or a victim of fate) or feeling internally controlled (responsible for the pain and happiness of everyone around) 

1. Fallacy of fairness: 

Feeling resentful because you think you know what is fair, even though others do not agree 

1. Blaming: 

Holding other people responsible for your pain or blaming yourself for every problem 

1. Shoulds: 

Having a list of ironclad rules about how you and other people "should" act; becoming angry at those who break the rules and feeling guilty if you violate them 

1. Emotional reasoning: 

Believing that what you feel must be true, automatically (e.g., if you feel stupid, you must be stupid) 

1. Fallacy of change: 

Expecting that other people will change to suit you if you pressure them enough; having to change people because your hopes for happiness depend on them 

1. Global labeling: 

Generalizing one or two qualities into a negative global judgment 

1. Being right: 

Proving that your opinions and actions are correct on a continual basis; thinking that being wrong is unthinkable; going to any lengths to prove you are correct 

1. Heaven's reward fallacy: 

Expecting all sacrifice and self-denial to pay off, and feeling disappointed and even bitter when the reward does not come 

Source: Beck 1976