Cognitive Restructuring

Presenters: Alem Sendaba, Josh Rosenberg, Ngawang Tsephel,

Emilie Raymond

Cognitive Restructuring

I. Group MembersII. Introduction and Definition of Cognitive RestructuringIII. Overview Of What Each Group Member Will Be Covering IV. Ngawang Discusses Theory and Model of Cognitive RestructuringV.Journal Article On Self-TalkVI. Activity #1 – Changing From Negative To Positive Self-TalkVII. Star Section – Steps to Initiate Cognitive RestructuringVIII. Josh Discusses Confidence and Embracing a Psychology of ExcellenceIX. Alem Discusses Self-TalkX. Emilie Discusses Techniques for Controlling Self-TalkXI. Activity #2 – Thought StoppageXII. Summary

Cognitive Restructuring

Definition: A coping technique; substituting negative, self-defeating thoughts with positive, affirming thoughts that change perceptions of stressors from threatening to non-threatening.

Theory and Model:

Rational emotive therapy (RET): Developed by Albert Ellis as a means to help people cope with anxiety by changing the perceptions associated with the stressor.

Cognitive restructuring: A coping technique; substituting negative, self-defeating thoughts with positive, affirming thoughts that change perceptions of stressors from threatening to nonthreatening.

Information-processing model: A model that reveals how we potentially perceive sensory information , for better or worse.

Couple of examples of self-talk.

Researchers have found that Olympic qualifiers and National team athletics used self-talk as a motivation strategy for controlling attention focus and to enhance self-confidence.

Researchers also studied the effect of positive, negative, and neutral self-talk on dart throwing performance. The results indicated that participants in the positive self-talk group out performed those in the negative and neutral self talk groups. found that positive self talk also increased performance on a muscular endurance task.

Method:

Participants: 125 undergraduate students

Type of self talk (positive)

Motivational (“Yes! Come on, let’s go!”) and focus (“Don’t think about anything, just concentrate”)

Type of self talk (negative) (“This is too hard”) self doubts in ability (“I can’t do this”)

Purpose of Research:

1) First purpose was to examine the relationship between one’s belief in self-talk and performance.

2) The second purpose was to examine the influence of positive and negative self-talk performance.

Performance Task :

Stabilometer

Why Stabilometer?

- Stabilometer task is a valid and reliable measure of balance.

RESULTS:

Positive self-talk groups average time balance 9.28secs.

Mixed self-talk group average time balance 8.29secs

Negative self-talk group average time balance 7.03secs

Step 1. AWARENESS: consists of 3 steps.• Identify and acknowledge the stressor.• Identify why these situations and events are stressors.• Appraisal to the main stressor.

Step 2. REAPPRAISAL OF THE SITUATION:A “second opinion” you generate in your mind to offer a different (objective) viewpoint.

Step 3. ADOPTION AND SUBSTITUTION:Once a new frame of mind is created, it must then be adopted and implemented.

Step 4. EVALUATION:Measure effectiveness of new positive perspective. Ask yourself, “Did this new attitude work?”

STEPS TO INITIATE COGNITIVE RESTRUCTURING Cognitive restructuring is a refinement of the continuous dialogue of the mind.

Confidence, Mental Toughness, Optimism, and Self-Efficacy

Mental Toughness: The natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to cope better than your competitors with the demands of performance and to remain more determined, focused, confident, and in control.

Optimism: A tendency to expect the best possible outcome or dwell on the most hopeful aspects of a situation.

Self-Efficacy: The conviction that one can successfully execute the specific behavior required to produce the desired outcome.

Confidence: A result of how one thinks, what one focuses on, and how one reacts to the events in one’s life.

A Misconception About ConfidenceOnly positive feedback can build confidence.

Prerequisites for Gaining Confidence

1. Understand the Interaction of Thought and Performance.

2. Cultivate honest self-awareness.

3. Develop an optimistic explanatory style.

4. Embrace a psychology of excellence.

Develop an Optimistic Explanatory StyleThe way an athlete internally responds to and explains both the good and bad events that occur in his or her life. Explanatory style can be a useful tool for helping athletes maintain optimism and confidence.

Explanatory Style can be broken down into three

dimensions:

1. Permanence: the degree to which one feels events will repeat and continue to affect one’s life either negatively or positively.

2. Pervasiveness: the degree to which one feels that a particular experience will generalize to other contexts.

3. Personalization: the degree to which one sees him or her self as the primary causal agent in events.

Embrace A Psychology of Excellence.

Confidence in one’s self results in a consistently constructive thinking process, in which energy, optimism, and enthusiasm are produced for support to one’s performance.

• Go for your dreams.• Focus on your success.• Be your own best friend.• Create your own reality.

SELF TALK• Self-talk is the fundamental key to cognitive

control.• Self-talk permeates throughout all aspects of

life and can be utilized to improve your attitude, performance and self-efficacy.

Depression

• Self-talk becomes a liability when it is negative, distracting or so frequent that it disrupts automatic performance.

• Depression, a disorder of conscious thought, is a bi-product of continued negative self-talk that varies in severity and frequency.

Self-Talk for Skill Acquisition

• Self-instructional talk is used to remind the performer of certain key aspects of the movement.

• Cue Words (Arch & Swish)• The nature of thoughts and self-talk should

change as performers become more proficient.

Self-Talk for Changing Bad Habits

• Focus on the desired outcome, not ‘what-not to do’ (step-hit).

• Winners say, “what they want to happen,” Losers say what they “fear might happen.”

Self-Talk For Attention Control

• Focus on the present; the future is unpredictable and the past is unchangeable.

• Isolate attention to task at hand.

Self-Talk for Creating / Changing Affect or Mood

• Find emotional quality in words.• Cue Words.

Self-Talk for Controlling Effort

• Control Phrases• Sustaining Effort

Self-Talk for Building Self-Efficacy

• Efficacy expectations affect performance-maintaining effort through setbacks and obstacles.

• Enhancing efficacy improves performance.• Adoption and maintenance of exercise behavior.

Identifying Self-Talk

• Knowing when and how to talk to yourself.• Self-fulfilling prophecy.• Three Effective Tools – Retrospection, Imagery, Self-

Talk Log.

Retrospection

• Analyzing positive thoughts to re-create positive experiences.

Imagery

• Visualization and sensory re-call.• Those who practice imagery are much

more efficient at visualizing past experiences.

Self-Talk Log

• Record your emotions as they occur.• Be descriptive and detailed without being

distractive.

Techniques for Controlling Self Talk

• Thought-stoppage• Changing negative thoughts to positive thoughts.• Countering• Reframing• ABC cognitive restructuring• Affirmation statements• Mastery and coping tapes• Video technology

Thought Stoppage

• Begins with awareness of the unwanted thought and uses a trigger to interrupt or stop the unwanted thought. The trigger can be a word or a physical action. It should be natural.

• Requires monitoring the habit and then “truly deciding” to change this talk for the better.

• Effective to involve imagery and practice until it becomes effortless.

• Visible thought-stoppage triggers can reinforce awareness and provide support.

• Old habits only change with considerable motivation and practice.

Changing Negative Thoughts to Positive Thoughts

• Learn to couple any negative thought with a positive thought that either provides encouragement and support or redirects attention.

• Last thought should be a self-enhancing statement.• List self-defeating things you would like to change. Recognize

the situation involved and why the negative thought occurred.• The positive self-talker sees a possibility in every problem, not a

problem in every possibility.• May want to combine relaxation techniques.• Use negative self-talk as a signal to stop, cope, and take

control.• Culture needs to be considered when designing self-talk

interventions.

Countering

• Countering – An internal dialogue that uses facts and reasons to refute the underlying beliefs and assumptions that lead to negative thinking.

• Determine underlying basis of thoughts that need to be refuted.

• Is this thinking in my best interest? Does this thinking help me?

Reframing

• Process of creating alternative frames of reference, or different ways of looking things.

• Focus on the possibilities and opportunities.• Develop a different perspective.

Identifying Irrational and Distorted Thinking

• Perfection is essential• Catastrophizing• Worth depends on achievement• Personalization• Fallacy of fairness• Blaming• Polarized thinking/labeling• One-trial generalizations

Modifying Irrational and Distorted Thinking: ABC Cognitive Restructuring

• Are the beliefs based on objective reality?• Are they helpful to you? Self-destructive thoughts are usually

irrational.• Are they useful in reducing conflicts with other people, or do you

set up a me-versus-them situation?• Do they help you reach your short-and long-term goals, or do

they get in the way?• Do they reduce emotional conflict and help you feel the way you

want to feel?

Constructing Affirmation Statements

• Affirmations are statements that reflect positive attitudes or thoughts about oneself.

• Statements about what you want as if you already had it.• Most effective statements are believable and vivid.• Self-esteem and success lists should be in the present tense

and should avoid perfectionist statements, such as “always” or “never.”

Designing Coping and Mastery Tapes to Enhance Performance

• Describe an outstanding performance in which events proceed precisely as desired.

• Consider the perfect performance with as much detail as possible, with descriptions of important moments.