Question

John considers himself to be a professional gambler and only a part-time truck driver. he has "won big" several times in his life, but his wife remembers the times that she had to rely on help from her parents just to feed and clothe their children because of john's "big losses." however, john keeps gambling because he tends to focus on the "wins" and not on the "losses." john is exhibiting which of the cognitive distortions that lead to a gambling addiction?

Answer 1

John is exhibiting "Selective Memory".A cognitive distortion is a term used for those methods which our brain uses to assure us of something which actually is not factual. These non factual thinking is normally utilized to support negative ideas or emotions. Selective memory is the ability of mind to remember some selective parts of the occurrences and forgetting other particularly the ones which are not convenient.