THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR THE APPLICATION OF METACOGNITIVE THERAPY IN OVERCOMING MALADAPTIVE COGNITIVE PATTERNS AMONG SOCIAL MEDIA USERS

Abstract

The article provides a theoretical analysis of the application of metacognitive therapy for correcting the maladaptive behavior of social media users and substantiates the metacognitive mechanisms of rumination formation. The relevance of the study is driven by the increase in psycho-emotional disorders among youth associated with active digital interaction, where ruminations act as a key factor in cognitive maladaptation. Through theoretical and comparative analysis, the main approaches to studying rumination are characterized as an uncontrollable, cyclical, and intrusive thinking process based on fixation on negative experiences and repetitive negative thoughts. The specifics of ruminations as a particular form of cognitive patterns supported by specific metacognitive beliefs (positive and negative) are revealed. The role of the cognitive-attentional syndrome (CAS) in the formation of psychological discomfort caused by prolonged and uncontrolled social media use is researched and substantiated. The work presents and theoretically adapts A. Wells' S-REF model to the specifics of social media. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the structural components of the S-REF model. It is substantiated that emotional maladaptive states, such as anxiety, depression, etc., in the digital environment, through ruminations, tend to transform into predictors for the formation of new cycles of maladaptation. Prospects for further research are identified as the study of the interaction of rumination with volitional, motivational, emotional, and cognitive processes, the influence of the social environment and possible psychotherapeutic tools on its regulation, and the formation of a metacognitive model and program to reduce digital ruminations.