Trish just got a very positive performance review from her boss, with lots of detail about her competence and skill. There was also a suggestion that she work on her time management because she has frequently been a few minutes late to work. Trish feels that the review was quite negative, because she fixated on this small criticism. According to Beck's model of depression, what does Trish's thinking represent?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Trish's fixation on the small criticism about her time management, despite receiving a very positive performance review, represents a cognitive distortion, specifically selective abstraction (focusing on the negative detail and ignoring the positive feedback). This is in line with Beck's model of depression which suggests that negative self-referential cognitions can lead to depressive symptoms.

Trish Just Got a Very Positive Performance Review from Her