Which type of cognitive distortion involves interpreting one's feelings as facts?

The correct response focuses on emotional reasoning, which is a cognitive distortion where individuals interpret their emotions as definitive truths or facts. For instance, if someone feels anxious about an upcoming event, they might conclude that something bad will happen, purely based on their feelings of anxiety. This process can lead to biased thinking and reinforce negative emotional states because the person may disregard evidence that contradicts their feelings.

Emotional reasoning often manifests in statements like "I feel guilty, therefore I must have done something wrong," highlighting how feelings can be misconstrued as factual evidence. It's essential to recognize this distortion because it can significantly impact a person's mental health and decision-making processes.

In contrast to emotional reasoning, filtering, overgeneralization, and catastrophizing involve different cognitive distortions. Filtering refers to focusing solely on the negative aspects of a situation while ignoring the positive ones. Overgeneralization involves making broad conclusions based on a single incident or piece of evidence. Catastrophizing is the tendency to expect the worst possible outcome to occur. Each of these has its characteristics, but interpreting one's emotions as facts is distinctly aligned with emotional reasoning.