Journal of Psychology & Psychotherapy
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0487
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2161-0487
+44 1478 350008
Joan C Craig
University of Windsor, Canada
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Psychol Psychother
Positive thought-action fusion is a cognitive bias that has only recently been identified as an independent construct. This bias is related to, but distinct from the thought-action fusion bias that has been examined in work on obsessive-compulsive disorder and various other clinical disorders, such as anxiety. Positive thought-action fusion is a bias in which a person believes that his or her personal thoughts regarding positive outcomes can have an influence on real-life events. For example, a person may think that he will win the lottery and he believes that this thought has actually improved his chance of winning. Similarly, a person may think that she can get away with cheating on an exam and she believes that this thought has actually improved her chance of getting away with cheating. The author will discuss the results from a full psychometric evaluation of this construct including the development of a valid scale for measurement and the distinctions found between this cognitive bias and other constructs, such as hope and positive thinking. An open discussion will follow the presentation to provide an opportunity for the presenter and conference attendees to discuss the possible implications of positive thought-action fusion in the field of positive psychology.
Joan C Craig has completed her Master’s degree in Applied Social Psychology in 2014 and is currently pursuing her PhD from the University of Windsor Psychology Department in Ontario, Canada. She has won several awards for her past research, which has been well-received at both national and international conferences. Her current research is focused on further investigation of the positive thought-action fusion construct; particularly, in relation to risk-taking behaviors.
Email: craigl@uwindsor.ca