A young child has thoughts about hating her younger brother and wishing he would die.She becomes very anxious about these thoughts because she has developed the idea that if anything really happened to him, it would be her fault.Which pattern of thinking is she exhibiting?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The young child is exhibiting thought-action fusion, which is the belief that having a thought about something bad happening is equivalent to actually causing that thing to happen. This often results in anxiety and compulsive behavior to prevent these thoughts from becoming reality.

A Young Child Has Thoughts About Hating Her Younger Brother