Cognitive distortion and cognitive theory related to sport injory - Essay Example

Social Distortion Theory Social Distortion Theory The term cognitive distortion is used to refer to the way an individual’s cognition convinces him/her of an event that may have actually not taken place (Jenkins, 2005). These false ideas of the reality reinforces the negative believes that one holds and make an individual believe that their negative perceptions are rational and appropriate. For example, the swimmer that was interviewed stated that she was experiencing scoliosis due to swimming.

Scoliosis is caused due to various factors such as traumatic injury but swimming is rather considered as a treatment of scoliosis instead of a cause (Barczyk et al., 2005). There are various distortions that an individual indulges in including jumping to conclusions without knowing the reality or without knowing the facts (Weiten et al., 2006). For example the swimmer states that as a result of her injury she had to reduce or change the amount of weights that she used to exercise with and these conflicts with her social interactions during training.

This suggests that swimmer believes that since she cannot train in the same manner as she used to before the injury, her social interactions with other team members is being disrupted. Another type of cognitive distortion experienced by the swimmer is called should statement. When an individual is experiencing cognitive distortion they tend to do what they should be morally doing without taking the context or the issue under consideration (Mcgrath, 2007). For example, the swimmer states that she felt emotionally stressed out and felt that she is her time is being wasted due to the injury and she should be training.

This reflects that the swimmer is ignoring the fact that she is injured and she is only focusing on her training and she even trained even when she was instructed not to. Individuals suffering from cognitive distortion in case of a sports related injury can be helped through counseling (Greenberger, 1995). They need to be helped in focusing on the reality instead of the false reality they believe in. For example, the swimmer should have been provided with counseling in which the swimmer should have been advised to first look at the reality and look at the facts before reaching to the conclusion that her social interactions are being effected due to her injury.

ReferencesBarczyk K, Skolimowski T, & Zawadzka D. (2005). Changes in body posture in children with first-degree scoliosis taking part in corrective exercises in a water environment. Ortopedia, Traumatologia, Rehabilitacja. 7, 180-6. Greenberger, D., & Padesky, C. A. (1995). Mind over mood: change how you feel by changing the way you think. New York, Guilford Press.Jenkins, S. P. R. (2005). Sports science handbook 1. 1. Brentwood, Essex, Multi-Science Publ. Co.Mcgrath, P. B. (2007). The OCD answer book professional answers to more than 250 top questions about obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Naperville, Ill, Sourcebooks. http://www.books24x7.com/marc.asp?bookid=22041.Weiten, W., & Lloyd, M. A. (2006). Psychology applied to modern life: adjustment in the 21st century. Australia, Thomson/Wadsworth.