The results can be summarized as follows: Let’s look at a study that investigated the relationship between depression and brain tissue volume in the limbic system. One area of the brain that is linked to automatic thoughts is the parahippocampal gyrus, a part of the limbic system. Where Exactly Do Automatic Thoughts Come From? Parahippocampal gyrus A healthy balance of positive and negative thoughts appears to be weighted toward more positive than negative- a ratio of 0.62 to 0.38, to be exact (according to one study). It’s called the ATQ-P, and higher scores on it are strongly associated with lower levels of depression. A variation of the ATQ was developed to measure positive automatic thoughts. However, research does support the assumption that positive thinking is related to positive mood. We can infer that the lack of negative automatic thoughts has beneficial effects on mental health, but this still isn’t quite the same as the presence of positive automatic thoughts. The relationship between negative automatic thoughts and depression and anxiety is well documented. The ability to resist slipping into negative cognitions seems to have a protective effect inpatient surveys taken at two time points show that decreases in negative automatic thoughts are strongly correlated with reduced suicidal ideation. The researchers propose that cognitive reactivity is related to relapse and recurrence of depression.Ĭognitive reactivity refers to the triggering of negative thought patterns by small declines in mood. When presented with a distressing stimulus, previously depressed participants and people who have never been depressed experienced stronger belief in negative automatic thoughts. It’s a cross-validated questionnaire that’s been shown in several studies to correlate with depression and separate depressed from non-depressed individuals. The ATQ contains statements like “I am a failure,” and asks participants to rate each statement on a scale representing the frequency with which they experience that thought. The most well-known measure in this area is the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ), a 30-item instrument developed in 1980. I always fail.” Those are the types of thoughts I’m talking about here. For example, self-referential thoughts like, “I’m going to fail this exam. It also includes the intrusive thoughts that characterize Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but I’ll be focusing more on those automatic thoughts that don’t necessarily play a direct role in psychopathology. “Automaticity is granted if the perceiver lacks awareness of the process, does it with efficiency (i.e., with minimal use of cognitive resources), has no intention to do it, or cannot control it.”īased on this definition, automatic thoughts include those about others, such as deeply held prejudices. The Handbook of Social Psychology describes four types of automatic cognitive processes: But when your automatic thoughts are that you deserve those thoughts, what do you do? Types of Automatic Thoughtsįirst, some background. I don’t know a single person who hasn’t mentally beat themselves up over a perceived shortcoming. We all have those sneaky thoughts that come unbidden when we make a mistake or are faced with a change.
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