Cognitive distortions: thought–action fusion

✍ Scribed by S. Rachman; Roz Shafran

• Book ID: 101278019
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 116 KB
• Volume: 6
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1063-3995
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0879(199905)6:2<80::aid-cpp188>3.0.co;2-c

✦ Synopsis

Thought±action fusion (TAF) is a cognitive distortion with two forms: probability TAF' in which the intrusive thought is believed to increase the probability that a specific negative event will occur and morality TAF' in which experiencing the intrusive thoughts is morally equivalent to carrying out a prohibited action. This distortion is especially prominent in obsessions, is closely related to guilt and is associated with subsequent attempts at neutralization. A comparable cognitive distortion termed `thought±shape fusion' has been found in a minority of people with eating problems and occurs when the thought of eating is sufficient to induce feelings of fatness, moral unacceptability and weight gain. These cognitive distortions can be manipulated experimentally and have clinical implications that include improvement in understanding the nature of the disorder and its treatment.