Anxiety and mood (대한불안의학회지)

Korean Academy of Anxiety Disorders (대한불안의학회)
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Conceptual Understanding of Thought-Action Fusion and Cognitive Fusion : Focus on Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms

사고-행동 융합과 인지적 융합의 개념적 이해 : 강박증을 중심으로

  • Lee, Sang Won (Neuropsychiatry Center, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital) ;
  • Lee, Kyung-Uk (Department of Psychiatry, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Choi, Mina (Institute of Biomedical Engineering Research, Kyungpook National University) ;
  • Lee, Seung Jae (Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University)
  • 이상원 (칠곡경북대학교병원 정신건강센터) ;
  • 이경욱 (가톨릭대학교 의정부성모병원 정신건강의학과) ;
  • 최미나 (경북대학교 의공학연구소) ;
  • 이승재 (경북대학교 의과대학 정신건강의학교실)
  • Received : 2019.03.08
  • Accepted : 2018.04.23
  • Published : 2019.04.30
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Abstract

Thought-action fusion (TAF) is a tendency to blindly assume causal relations between their thoughts and external reality. On the other hand, cognitive fusion (CF) is a tendency to take internal experiences, such as thoughts and feeling, literally rather than view them as random events. However, these two terms are often confusedly used and, in fact, have conceptual overlaps. Therefore, this study aimed to identify their distinctive features through a comprehensive review of the definition, origin, measurements and clinical implications especially on the understanding of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The cognitive-behavioral concept of TAF is confined to erroneous and maladaptive beliefs about the connection between thoughts and behaviors. The CF is a broader construct that entails taking thoughts and feelings as facts and engaging or struggling with them such that the quality of life is lowered. They also have different theoretical backgrounds, developing processes and therapeutic approaches. From the perspective of the obsessive-compulsive disorder, both concepts have been studied as mid-structures for this illness. Recently, the effectiveness of psychological therapies related to these concepts such as defusion therapy has been tested. However, it is yet still in its infancy. In the future, complementary advances between the two concepts with studies on biological substrates is needed.

Keywords

References

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