Which cognitive distortion is demonstrated by the statement 'Either I do well on this test or I quit this class'?

Which cognitive distortion is demonstrated by the statement 'Either I do well on this test or I quit this class'?

• A. All-or-Nothing Thinking
• B. Polarizing
• C. Catastrophizing
• D. Selective Abstraction

Answer: (B)

Polarizing is a cognitive distortion that pushes thinking into black-and-white extremes with no middle ground. The statement sets up only two outcomes: do well or quit, with no possibility of a middle path like doing reasonably, studying further, or continuing in the class despite not achieving perfection. That rigid, all-or-nothing view of the situation illustrates polarized thinking, where experiences are judged in absolute terms. It helps to remember that real-life outcomes often exist along a spectrum, not as simply a single success or an abrupt end.

Polarizing is a cognitive distortion that pushes thinking into black-and-white extremes with no middle ground. The statement sets up only two outcomes: do well or quit, with no possibility of a middle path like doing reasonably, studying further, or continuing in the class despite not achieving perfection. That rigid, all-or-nothing view of the situation illustrates polarized thinking, where experiences are judged in absolute terms. It helps to remember that real-life outcomes often exist along a spectrum, not as simply a single success or an abrupt end.