Cognitive Distortions: Understanding Overgeneralization

The more we learn about the human brain, the more we understand the deep interrelations between various conditions. For instance, individuals who suffer from social anxiety disorder may find that their symptoms are worsened by a cognitive distortion called overgeneralization.

What Is Overgeneralization?

The American Psychological Association defines overgeneralization as, “a cognitive distortion in which an individual views a single event as an invariable rule, so that, for example, failure at accomplishing one task will predict an endless pattern of defeat in all tasks.” People with this condition take the outcome of one event and apply it as the inevitable outcome for all similar events.

Who Is at Risk for Overgeneralization?

While anyone can struggle with this cognitive distortion, it is more commonly seen in people with social anxiety disorder, as well as those with generalized anxiety, depression, and related conditions.

What Are the Symptoms of Overgeneralization?

To some extent, most of us are guilty of overgeneralizing at certain points. For instance, have you ever been frustrated while driving, only to be stopped by a red light and then fume because you’re “always” stopped at “every” red light? This is a good example of overgeneralization in daily life – you’re certainly not stopped by every single red light, every single time, but our brain makes it feel that way. For individuals who suffer from overgeneralization as a cognitive distortion, the situation is a little bit different.

Symptoms include:

  • Viewing negative experiences as a set pattern

  • Assuming one failure will predict ongoing failure in the same activity/task

  • Worsening negative self-talk

  • The feeling that you cannot do anything right

How to Overcome Overgeneralization

While overgeneralization can lead to negative outcomes in your life, cognitive behavioral therapy offers some strategies to address these challenges.

Know When It Occurs

One of the most powerful things you can do is recognize when it is happening. This can be challenging, as it requires that you become aware of your thinking while you are thinking it, but when done properly, you can learn to take a step back from the overgeneralization process while it is occurring.

Practice Mindfulness

Overgeneralization involves your thoughts. Therefore, when you are mindful of your thoughts, you can begin to notice patterns. Once you see those patterns, you can start to break them. Some people find it useful to keep a journal in which they record their thoughts so they can identify patterns more easily, as well as identifying overgeneralization triggers.

Look Deeply

An important step in dealing with overgeneralization is to look deeply at your thoughts and emotions, particularly when they are strong and negative. Ask yourself, “Am I sure?” or “Is this actually true?”. Ask whether someone else would see the situation the same way – challenge your thoughts and remember times when you succeeded rather than focusing on failures and negative outcomes.

Ultimately, overgeneralization is a symptom of a larger problem, usually a type of anxiety. Addressing this single symptom may help alleviate others related to your anxiety, but addressing the core issue is also important.

Andrea Zorbas