Structured Introspection: Cognitive Behavioural Perspectives for Self-Insight

Context

Cognitive Behavioural theories are largely attributed to a psychologist named Aaron Beck, who noticed that individuals who tended to be depressed also had cognitions and that tended to be negative, and indeed, ‘distorted’. Eventually, Beck’s insights paved the way for early cognitive behavioural models, which in some sense structured our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, and indeed, our very selves. A lot of our discussions in the past have focused on discussing topics that may sometimes challenge our assumptions or give insight into how we think about something, but I thought it might be interesting to now directly focus on our patterns of thinking given any context of our choice. In other words, I thought it might be interesting to do some thinking about our thinking in a structured way, and my hope is to see if we can uncover some self-insight into our personal tendencies that may better inform our responses and actions in daily life.

Prompt 1

Cognitive Behavioural models are built on the premise that our thoughts, behaviours, and emotions all influence one another. Can you think of an example in your daily or personal life in which any one of these three factors significantly influences the other?

Follow up:

Do you find that any of these 3 factors tend to usually precede the others? For example, might you often find that your behaviours or emotions follow your thoughts, or the other way around? Do you find this helpful, unhelpful, or anything in between?

Prompt 2

We’re now going to dive a little deeper into the cognitive components of the model. Generally, there is thought to be three levels to cognition, we’ll first look at the first 2:

1. Conscious thoughts: Rational thoughts and choices that are made with full awareness.
2. Automatic thoughts: Thoughts that flow rapidly, so that you may not be fully aware of them. This may mean you can’t check them for accuracy or relevance.

Can you think of some examples in your daily life discerning these 2 different levels of cognition?

Follow up:

Do you ever find yourself trying to check your conscious thoughts for accuracy or relevance? Do you ever find yourself trying to check your automatic thoughts for accuracy or relevance?

Prompt 3

The third level to cognition are our schemas: our core beliefs and personal rules for processing information, shaped by repeated influences. Think about some of the examples you thought of in the first and second questions. When you look at the content of your thoughts and the context, do you notice a pattern arising? In other words, do you notice how some of your thoughts surrounding certain situations might be based on one or more schemas?

Follow up: Where might you think some of these schemas come from? Can you recall experiences which may have influenced them? Do you think the schemas that you have are accurate and/or helpful, or unhelpful?

Prompt 4

Within Cognitive Behavioural models, there is a component of unhelpful thinking styles known as cognitive distortions. A few interesting (and sometimes relatable) ones for myself include: **All or nothing thinking: ** viewing situations as absolute (i.e. if I am not perfect I’m a failure) Catastrophizing: Exaggerating the importance of errors and to imagine the worst case scenario Overgeneralization: Taking a single negative event and seeing it as a never-ending pattern of defeat

In consideration of the thoughts and schemas that we’ve discussed so far, can you think of any way in which they might be distorted in these specific ways?

Prompt 5

The way we think is not always negatively distorted. Can you think of situations or events that make you feel empowered, positive, fulfilled, purposeful/meaningful, and are generally free from negative distortions or even ameliorates distortions? Why is this the case?