Cognitive distortions are perceptual errors that affect the way people perceive a situation, as well as their decisions and actions. Learn more about this topic.
What are cognitive distortions? Definition of the term
Cognitive distortions can be defined as cognitive errors that occur when people get caught up in their own thoughts. Cognitive distortions are the result of the biases, judgments and judgments we impose on the information we receive. Cognitive errors are the result of inaccurate or incomplete perceptions of various situations and behaviors. They can lead to incorrect conclusions, as well as to wrong decisions.
What do cognitive distortions consist of?
Cognitive distortions consist of people perceiving information in an incomplete or inaccurate way. They may do this as a result of preconceptions or ideas they have developed from past experiences. For example, people may assess a situation without considering all the available information, so they may draw false conclusions. In addition, people may perceive information in a selective way, meaning that they will assimilate information that is consistent with their biases and ignore information that is not.
The most common cognitive distortions
The most common cognitive distortions include errors such as biases, misselection of information, inference based on incomplete data, confirmation, overestimation and boosting. Biases mean that people draw conclusions based on their preconceptions without considering other factors. Misinformation selection refers to a situation in which people select only information that is consistent with their opinions or beliefs. Inference based on incomplete data is when people draw conclusions based on a small amount of information without considering other data. Confirmation means that people look for information that confirms their beliefs and ignore those that refute them. Overestimation means that people overestimate the importance of information that agrees with their opinion, and ignore that which contradicts it. Conquering means that people fall into the trap of thinking that all information is interpreted one-sidedly.
Cognitive distortion in business
Cognitive distortions have a major impact on the business environment. For example, biases can affect how people perceive and evaluate business situations and decisions. Biases can lead to false conclusions, resulting in wrong decisions and financial losses. Misselection of information can lead people to believe that one piece of information is more important than others, which can affect business decisions. Inference based on incomplete data can lead to wrong decisions, as people will draw conclusions based on insufficient information. Confirming, overestimating and bumping up also affect business decisions, as people may ignore information that is necessary for a correct perception of the situation.