Which term describes the distorted process of forming rigid beliefs based on a single event and applying them to subsequent events?

• A. Overgeneralization
• B. Personalization
• C. Polarized Thinking
• D. Rationality

Answer: (A)

Overgeneralization is a thinking pattern where one single event is taken as the rule for all similar situations, leading to rigid beliefs that apply beyond the initial instance. This often shows up with absolute language like always or never, even when the evidence doesn’t support such sweeping conclusions. For example, if you do poorly on one test and conclude that you’re a failure in math overall, you’re applying the single event to a broader belief rather than evaluating each situation on its own. In counseling, spotting this distortion helps students challenge the belief with evidence from other experiences and consider more balanced interpretations, such as recognizing that a single poor performance doesn’t define overall ability and that improvement is possible with targeted effort. The other options describe different distortions—personalization ties events to oneself, polarized thinking splits things into all-or-nothing categories, and rationality represents logical, balanced thinking—whereas overgeneralization specifically captures the erroneous extrapolation from one event to many.