Filtering and Polarization

Mechanism of Selective Abstraction

Selective abstraction, often referred to as "mental filtering", is an error in information processing where the individual directs his or her attention exclusively to a negative detail of a situation, magnifying it until it tinges the whole reality, while the positive or neutral aspects are ignored or discarded.

It is like having tunnel vision that only detects threats or errors. For example, imagine an architect presenting a complex project; he receives praise for the structure, design and sustainability, but a colleague points out a small error in the budget.

If the architect suffers from this distortion, he will leave the meeting convinced that his presentation was a humiliating disaster, unable to process the multiple accolades received because his mind has filtered out everything except the error.

This mechanism maintains the negative schemas by preventing positive information from entering the cognitive system to refute the beliefs of inability or defect.

The Rigidity of Polarized Thinking

Dichotomous or polarized thinking is the tendency to categorize experiences, people and oneself into absolute extremes, without recognizing the degrees in between.

In this mental scheme, things are black or white, good or bad, perfect or failed. There is no gray or flexibility.

A clear example would be a student who aspires to excellence; if he gets a grade of 9 out of 10, instead of feeling satisfaction for a high performance, he interprets the result as a total failure because "if it is not perfect, it is no good".

This distortion is devastating for self-worth, since, as absolute perfection does not exist in human reality, the person is condemned to constantly perceive him/herself on the negative end of the equation (failed, useless, bad) at the slightest mistake.

Impact on Self-Assessment and Mood

The combination of these two distortions creates fertile ground for depression and anxiety.

Filtering ensures that the person only accumulates "evidence" of his or her failures, while polarized thinking dictates that any failure is tantamount to a total nullity.

This directly affects self-eva luation, preventing the subject from recognizing his or her partial achievements or progress.

Reality becomes hostile and the "I" is perceived as flawed, not because reality is, but because the measuring instrument (cognition) is calibrated to reject nuances and positives.

Abstract

Selective abstraction, or mental filtering, occurs when the individual focuses his or her attention exclusively on a negative detail, magnifying it until it colors his or her entire perception of reality.

Polarized thinking classifies experiences into absolute extremes, such as black or white, without nuance. Under this scheme, any outcome that is less than perfect is considered a total failure.

These distortions severely impact mood and self-eva luation. By filtering out the positive and polarizing failures, the subject perceives his or her reality as hostile and flawed.