Thought-Action Fusion and Psychopathologies: A Review of Literature

Abstract

Thought–action fusion (TAF) can be defined as the tendency to equate the thought of an action with the realization of the action. This article reviews the present literature on TAF. Many studies over thirty years have been conducted to investigate TAF and its relationship with other constructs like OCD symptoms and religiosity. From the beginning of the 1900s, several writers have elaborated on TAF-related concepts like the primitive mentality, omnipotence of thought, and magical thinking. Emanating from OCD literature, TAF was also found to be present in anxiety disorders, depression, schizophrenia, and eating disorders. The Thought Action Fusion Scale was developed to measure TAF beliefs, and it has been widely used ever since. Moreover, the researchers proposed several different ways of inducing TAF in laboratory settings. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and psychoeducational interventions targeting TAF beliefs produced promising outcomes. The recent neuroscience studies on TAF suggest that precuneus, lingual gyrus, caudate nucleus, and several frontal and occipital cortex regions are activated during TAF experiences. The findings were discussed in terms of TAF’s specificity to OCD, the possible role of mental imagery in the formation of TAF, and suggestions for further research were made.