Cognitive distortions are unrealistic, inflexible, or extreme interpretations of information that are caused by systematic errors in the logic of an individual. Cognitive distortions are often evidencing a negative bias and perpetuating negative beliefs about the self in relation to the world (Beck 1976).
In Aaron T. Beck’s cognitive model (1976), schemata, cognitive errors, cognitive triad, and automatic thoughts are central to the development and maintenance of mental disorders and emotional distress. Schemata are relatively enduring, organizing structures that guide situational information processing. Dysfunctional schemata are negative in content and consist of immature, absolute, and rigid attitudes about the self and its relation to the world. When activated by stress, dysfunctional schemata lead to cognitive errors, the next step in the causal pathway to mental disorders. Cognitive errors cause our perception and.
