Cognitive biases
Evidence Log for Contradicting a Core Belief (Confirmation Bias)
The client only notices information that supports a long-held negative belief about themselves or.
When a client holds a deeply ingrained negative belief, that they’re incompetent or unlikable, for example, they often become masters of selective attention. Every minor setback is logged as definitive proof, while contradictory evidence like praise or success is dismissed as a fluke or an exception. This makes in-session challenges to the belief feel abstract and unconvincing to them.
This observation-task moves the work out of the theoretical and into the client’s lived experience. It systematically guides their attention to find and document the very data their bias has been filtering out. The client returns not with a changed mind, but with a new collection of evidence that makes their core belief feel less absolute and more debatable.
Evidence Log for Contradicting a Core Belief (Confirmation Bias)
Write the core belief you are examining here:
Over the next seven days, your task is to notice and record any piece of evidence, however small, that does not support this belief. Do not argue with the evidence or try to explain it away. Do not look for evidence that supports the belief. Simply observe and write down what happened.
| Date/Time | Situation | Observation That Contradicts the Belief |
|---|---|---|
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