Identify at least one of the psychological phenomena listed below that you have experienced before and reflect on how this impacted how you felt and what actions you took.
- All-or-None Thinking – Also known as black and white thinking, with no gray area. This is when people put experiences into “either/or” categories and use the superlatives such as always or never to describe their feelings or experiences.
For example, if your performance falls short at work, you see yourself as a total failure. That you never do anything right. If you get into an argument with a loved one, you proclaim you are doomed to struggle in relationships. You are just an unlovable person, destined to be alone forever. - The Spotlight Effect – When people overestimate the degree to which they are noticed by others. This one can be hard for people to see because they really believe other people care as much about their own feelings and behaviors as they do. In fact, most people cannot provide an accurate analysis of the degree to which another person notices them (ie. what they are wearing, what they said, how nervous they were, etc.)
- Negativity Bias – The psychological phenomenon by which humans recall their unpleasant experiences more often and more intensely than their positive ones.
- Stereotyping – Expecting that each member of a particular group has certain characteristics…without of course, having any real evidence or actual information about the individual you are judging to support your beliefs.