Final answer:
Cognitive restructuring is the process of replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. It involves metacognition and can alleviate cognitive dissonance by aligning thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of replacing negative thoughts with positive ones is often referred to as cognitive restructuring or positive reappraisal. This psychological strategy involves identifying and challenging negative or harmful thoughts, and substituting them with positive or more adaptive ones. For example, the reaction formation ego defense mechanism is a process where a person swaps undesirable urges or behaviors for their opposites, which can be a form of cognitive restructuring. Cognitive restructuring is part of metacognition, which involves thinking about and regulating one's own thought processes. Implementing cognitive restructuring often requires a commitment to change thinking patterns and can help reduce cognitive dissonance by creating harmony between cognitions, attitudes, and behaviors.