The Three P’s of Negative Thinking: Personalization, Pervasiveness, Permanence 

Author: Katelyn Venable,LPC

Negative thinking is often based on three interrelated cognitive distortions known as the three P’s:

• Personalization: The tendency to take blame for negative situations and not considering external factors. Self-talk with personalization can sound like, “it’s my fault” or “I’m not good enough”.
• Permanence: Viewing one’s current circumstances as lasting and not considering events as temporary or situational. One’s thoughts may be, “I will never get better at this” or “I will never succeed”.
• Pervasiveness: Overgeneralizing an event to many areas of life and not viewing it as an isolated event. A related unhelpful narrative could be, “I’m a failure in everything”.

The Psychological Impact 

Inner dialogues can shape an individual’s mental health, overall well-being, and outlook on life. When one’s inner monologue leans towards criticism and negativity it can limit personal growth. These distortions, personalization, permanence, and pervasiveness, can create a cycle of negativity. Typically, negative thinking will decrease one’s self-esteem and increase hopelessness, which can lead to intensified symptoms of anxiety and depression. This spiral of negative thinking can deeply impact motivation, resilience, and well‑being.

Developing a More Balanced and Resilient Outlook 

1. Reframe failures as temporary and isolated, and restructure thoughts to be more balanced and realistic
2. Acknowledge successes and personal strengths linked to your efforts
3. Increase self-awareness and limit judgment
4. Practice a growth mindset to consider learnings and decrease narratives of inadequacy
5. Brain-training and cognitive techniques can help, such as: Identifying positive moments to counter the brain’s negativity bias and dispute and reframe unhelpful beliefs

Steps to building a more resilient outlook can include challenging personalization by considering external factors. Decreasing pervasiveness can be searching for unaffected life domains, and viewing challenges as temporary can limit permanence.

By understanding and addressing the three P’s of negative thinking, we can shift from a pessimistic explanatory style toward optimism, resilience, and improved mental health.

 

Equilibria is a group of licensed mental health professionals in Pennsylvania and New Jersey with multiple specialties to serve all aspects of our diverse community’s mental, emotional, and behavioral needs. We provide in person and telehealth services to individuals of all ages, families, and those in relationships. Click here to schedule an appointment today.