Inflated perceptions of responsibility and obsessive–compulsive symptoms

Abstract

In Salkovskis' [Salkovskis, P. (1985). Obsessional–compulsive problems: a cognitive-behavioural analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 28, 571–588; Salkovskis P. (1989) Cognitive-behavioural factors and the persistence of intrusive thoughts in obsessional problems. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 27, 677–682] cognitive model for obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), inflated perception of responsibility is highlighted as the critical feature that maintains the disorder. In the current study, the relationship between responsibility and obsessive–compulsive (OC) symptoms was examined. Specifically, three measures of responsibility were evaluated for their psychometric properties. These measures were then used to test Salkovskis's model by examining the relationships among pervasive responsibility, automatic thoughts related to causing harm, and OC symptom severity. Findings provide partial support for the validity and reliability of the measures and for the model as a whole. Based on regression analyses, data support that pervasive responsibility significantly contributes to the prediction of OC symptoms. Furthermore, this relationship appears to be mediated by automatic thoughts related to causing harm in OCD contexts.