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Cognitive distortions: thought–action fusion
Author(s) -
Rachman S.,
Shafran Roz
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
clinical psychology and psychotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.315
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1099-0879
pISSN - 1063-3995
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-0879(199905)6:2<80::aid-cpp188>3.0.co;2-c
Subject(s) - psychology , cognition , morality , action (physics) , feeling , distortion (music) , social psychology , cognitive psychology , developmental psychology , epistemology , neuroscience , physics , quantum mechanics , amplifier , philosophy , cmos , electronic engineering , engineering
Thought–action fusion (TAF) is a cognitive distortion with two forms: ‘probability TAF’ in which the intrusive thought is believed to increase the probability that a specific negative event will occur and ‘morality TAF’ in which experiencing the intrusive thoughts is morally equivalent to carrying out a prohibited action. This distortion is especially prominent in obsessions, is closely related to guilt and is associated with subsequent attempts at neutralization. A comparable cognitive distortion termed ‘thought–shape fusion’ has been found in a minority of people with eating problems and occurs when the thought of eating is sufficient to induce feelings of fatness, moral unacceptability and weight gain. These cognitive distortions can be manipulated experimentally and have clinical implications that include improvement in understanding the nature of the disorder and its treatment. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.