In Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, the therapist identifies the following thought in a depressed patient: 'My boss didn't say hello today — he must hate me and I'll be fired.' Which cognitive distortion does this represent?
- A Catastrophising
- B Selective abstraction
- C Mind reading and jumping to conclusions ✓
- D Overgeneralisation
Correct answer: C. Mind reading and jumping to conclusions
Explanation
The patient is engaging in 'mind reading' (assuming the boss's internal state — 'he must hate me') and 'arbitrary inference / jumping to conclusions' (predicting a negative outcome — 'I'll be fired') without supporting evidence. These are distinct cognitive distortions described by Aaron Beck. Catastrophising magnifies the perceived severity of a setback. Selective abstraction focuses on one negative detail ignoring the larger context. Overgeneralisation draws a broad rule from a single event. Identifying and challenging these automatic thoughts is central to CBT.
Reference: Kaplan & Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry, 11th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.