Magnification and Minimization: Mountains and Mole Hills

Events can be categorized as either positive, negative, or neutral. It is also possible to categorize them by significance or severity – being involved in an auto accident would be severe while forgetting to turn off the light in the bedroom when you leave would be relatively minor. However, for many people, the line between significant and less significant can be hard to define.

The Question of Perception

People struggle with many different cognitive distortions that affect their perceptions. One of the more common is magnification or minimization. In this situation, two things can occur. For some people, the importance of an event, particularly an event that is perceived as being negative, such as a mistake, is exaggerated. In the other situation, the reverse occurs, with the individual downplaying the significance of an event or decision.

Magnification

In the case of magnification, an individual will perceive a relatively minor incident as being much more important. For instance, a spilled glass of milk becomes not just an annoyance, but a cause of major upset. Magnification tends to occur with negative (bad) situations – mistakes a person has made or those made by people in their lives, accidents that occur, missteps taken in social situations, and the like. To some extent, we all feel this way – a major social faux pas will be a cause of consternation even if our peers barely notice it.

Minimization

In the case of minimization, the individual will downplay events that occur. This is most likely to happen with positive events or things most of us would consider “good”. For instance, getting a perfect score on a test would be minimized in value, even though the person might have spent hours preparing for it, and taking a small amount of pride in the accomplishment would be considered both normal and acceptable.

The Role of Anxiety

Anxiety disorder plays a central role in both magnification and minimization. Individuals prone to anxiety (or diagnosed with an anxiety disorder) tend to experience both extremes in relation to themselves and even to others within their life. For instance, a minor auto accident, in which neither car sustained any damage and the other driver was understanding and did not want to bother with an insurance claim might become an event of such cataclysmic proportions that the anxious person may decide to stop driving for days, weeks, or even months. This is even though the event yielded no definably negative outcomes.

How to Deal with Magnification and Minimization

The key to dealing with these cognitive disorders is to be aware that they occur. When you realize that you are magnifying a situation, pause and reassess. The same is true for minimizing positive situations – stop, breathe, and reframe the situation.

A panic diary is sometimes used as well to help track magnified/minimized thoughts and define patterns, while also connecting the behavior to underlying triggers. It is also important to remember that no one is perfect – we all make mistakes, so try not to let minor mishaps distract from the good in your life.