Cognitive distortions are best described as

• A. Thoughts that reflect a distortion of the meaning of a situation, based on incomplete or inaccurate information.
• B. Unbiased interpretations of events based on complete information.
• C. Physical sensations that accompany anxiety.
• D. Deliberate manipulation of others' behavior.

Answer: (A)

Cognitive distortions are automatic patterns of thinking that misinterpret reality by relying on incomplete or inaccurate information and by altering the meaning of events. This description fits the idea that distortions involve interpreting what a situation means rather than simply what happened, and they arise from biased, imperfect information. In CBT, these distorted thoughts are identified and challenged to replace them with more balanced interpretations. For contrast, thoughts that are unbiased and based on complete information would not be distortions; physical sensations tied to anxiety are about how you feel in the body, not what you think; and deliberately trying to manipulate others is a behavior pattern, not a cognitive distortion.