Importance Of Thoughts Research Articles

Importance of thoughts—how bias derails smart choices

Importance of thoughts—how bias derails smart choices

Experimental manipulation of beliefs about the importance of thoughts and the effect on an aggressive impulse.

Cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder attribute a causal role to maladaptive beliefs. To test this hypothesis, we manipulated Overimportance of Thoughts (OT) beliefs and experimentally evaluated their effect on the response to an induced aggressive impulse. Eighty-five participants completed a battery of self-report instruments assessing obsession symptoms, thought control, affectivity and obsessive beliefs, and were then randomly assigned to two conditions. In the experimental condition participants read a scientific abstract on the importance of thought control whilst those in the control condition read a neutral abstract. All participants identified a loved person and imagined feeling the impulse to stab this person, then completed again OT beliefs measures (Overimportance of Thought, Moral-Thought Action Fusion and Thought Action Fusion Likelihood). The Moral component of the Thought Action Fusion was reduced by reading a brief text about the possibility and desirability of thought control. However, experimentally induced changes in beliefs did not yield differences in the intrusiveness of the aggressive impulse. Some beliefs can be modified through a single session in which information similar to what could be obtained in quotidian life is provided.

A novel approach to challenging OCD related beliefs using a mobile-app: An exploratory study

Background and objectivesAccording to cognitive models, obsessive compulsive symptoms result from catastrophic misinterpretations of commonly occurring intrusive experiences and the use of counterproductive strategies to manage them. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) related beliefs such as inflated responsibility, importance of thoughts and perfectionism increases the likelihood of such misinterpretations. Consistent with a growing body of literature supporting the usefulness of mobile delivered technologies in fostering cognitive behavior change, the present study assessed the effectiveness of a novel cognitive training exercise designed to challenge OCD-related beliefs. This mobile app training exercise consists of users having to pull statements challenging OCD beliefs towards themselves (downwards) and to throw away (push upwards) contra-productive self-statements. Methods36 third-year BA students started the trial. Twenty completed pre and post measures of OCD-beliefs, mood and OCD symptoms including relationship-obsessions. Participants were instructed to complete 3 min of daily training for a period of 15 days. ResultsNo significant differences were found between completers and non-completers on demographic and most symptom related measures at Time 1. Repeated-measures MANOVA of the 20 completers showed a significant reduction on all OCD symptoms measures and on OCD-beliefs. No significant reduction was found in depression symptoms. Regression analysis showed change in levels of OCD-beliefs was associated with reduction in OCD symptoms at Time 2 over and above OCD symptoms at Time 1. LimitationsThe study is an open trial with non-clinical participants. ConclusionsThis mobile delivered training exercise may be useful for the reduction and relapse prevention of OCD-related beliefs and symptoms.

INTEGRALI PSICHONEUROLOGIJA IR GENETIKA

Šiuolaikinėje psichologijoje bei psichoterapijoje daug žinoma bei kalbama apie minčių svarbą, streso profilaktiką ir pozityvaus mąstymo poveikį ligų profilaktikai ir gydymui. Nauji psichofiziologijos ir neuropsichoanalizės bei genetikos tyrimai padėjo pamatą naujai mokslo krypčiai - psichogenetikai atsirasti. Psichogenetika bendrąja prasme nagrinėja žmogaus psichinių ir genetinių mechanizmų tarpusavio sąveiką bei įtaką sveikatai. Atskirų genų, t.y DNR atkarpų, pasireiškimas arba nepasireiškimas yra ne mažiau svarbūs nei pati DNR struktūra. Šiuos genų funkcijos pokyčius, nesusijusius su branduolio DNR nukleotidų sekų pokyčiais, nagrinėja genetikos mokslo šaka epigenetika. Epigenetinis (angl. epigenetic)efektas reguliuoja genų veikimą ir yra susijęs su paveldimais, tačiau potencialiai grįžtamais, genų raiškos, bet ne pačios DNR sekos pokyčiais. Epigenetiniai veiksniai keičia genų pasireiškimą, drauge nekeisdami DNR struktūros bei pasižymi plastiškumu reaguojant į išorinius ir vidinius veiksnius. Nauji mokslo tyrimai parodė, kad šiais veiksniais gali būti ne tik cheminės medžiagos ar maistas, bet ir psichologiniai: pozityvus mąstymas, optimizmas, adekvati reakcija į stresą.

Intolerance for uncertainty is a prognostic factor of negative response after intensive inpatient CBT for medication-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder

IntroductionCognitive theories of Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) have identified six types of beliefs, which have a role as vulnerability and maintaining factors: Inflated sense of responsibility, Threat overestimation, Importance of thoughts, Control of thoughts, Perfectionism and Intolerance for uncertainty. As previous research showed that strong obsessive beliefs are linked to severe OCD symptoms, it could be hypothesized that they act as prognostic factors of negative response after cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). However, poor research investigated this aspect.ObjectivesThe aim of the current study was to examine which obsessive beliefs could predict a worse response after intensive CBT in a group of inpatients with medication-resistant OCD.MethodsForty inpatients [mean baseline Y-BOCS = 26.70, SD = 7.01] with medication-resistant OCD underwent 5-week intensive CBT including daily and prolonged exposure and response prevention (2.5 hours in the morning, 2.5 hours in the afternoon). All individuals have had inadequate symptom response after prior serotonin-reuptake inhibitor trials. The Y-BOCS, BAI, OBQ-87, and BDI-II were administered at baseline and post-treatment.ResultsInpatients who endorsed stronger intolerance for uncertainty, measured by higher scores on the OBQ-87 Intolerance for uncertainty scale, showed worse response after CBT, measured by having still higher Y-BOCS scores at post-treatment (β = 0.37, t = 2.48, r2 = 0.14, P < 0.05). No effect of the other beliefs emerged.ConclusionsCurrent data demonstrated the role of intolerance for uncertainty as predictor of negative response after intensive CBT for resistant OCD in inpatient setting. Augmentation strategies should be introduced to improve outcomes of inpatients with intolerance for uncertainty.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Validation of the Driver’s Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ) in a Chinese sample

The relationship between driving anger and negative driving outcomes, such as dangerous driving behaviors and traffic violations, has been the topic of several studies, but few studies have explored drivers’ angry thoughts when they encounter anger-provoking situations and the potential consequences of such thoughts. The purpose of this study was to investigate drivers’ angry thoughts behind the wheel and their relationship with dangerous driving behaviors. A total of 303 Chinese drivers completed the Chinese version of the Driver’s Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ), the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI) and the Driving Anger Scale (DAS). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the Chinese DATQ yielded a five-factor solution with 20 items that showed the best goodness of fit for the data. The brief DATQ also showed good reliability and validity. Three forms of aggressive thinking were positively correlated with dangerous driving behaviors, and coping self-instruction was negatively correlated with dangerous driving behaviors and traffic violations. More importantly, aggressive thinking mediated the effect of driving anger on dangerous driving behaviors, indicating the importance of thoughts behind the wheel. These results provide evidence supporting the development of strategies to reduce and prevent aggressive driving and accidents.

Do obsessional belief domains relate to body dysmorphic concerns in undergraduate students?

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is characterised by extreme pre-occupation with perceived deficits in physical appearance, and sufferers experience severe impairment in functioning. Previous research has demonstrated the overlap in clinical features between BDD and obsessive–compulsive disorder, yet research into the obsessional belief domains associated with BDD is limited. Research has also suggested that BDD patients are high in social anxiety and may endorse particular delusional beliefs. The current study examined cognitive vulnerability factors for body dysmorphic symptoms in a sample of 246 undergraduate students. Individuals higher in body dysmorphic symptoms reported higher social anxiety, delusional beliefs, and obsessive beliefs, including beliefs around the importance of thoughts and the importance of controlling thoughts, intolerance of uncertainty and perfectionism, and inflated responsibility and overestimation of threat. Among these relationships, only social anxiety, delusional beliefs, and importance of thoughts and controlling thoughts were uniquely associated with body dysmorphic symptoms in a multivariate model.

Part 2. They scare because we care: The relationship between obsessive intrusive thoughts and appraisals and control strategies across 15 cities

Cognitive models of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) purport that obsessions are normal intrusive thoughts that are misappraised as significant, leading to negative emotional responses and maladaptive attempts to control the thoughts and related emotions. This paper utilised a large multi-national dataset of interview data regarding intrusive thoughts, to investigate three questions related to the cognitive model of OCD and to its stability across cultures. First, the paper aimed to investigate the implicit yet-hitherto-untested assumption of cognitive models that misappraisals and control strategies for intrusive thoughts relate similarly across cultures. Second, this study aimed to build upon recent studies categorising intrusive thoughts into repugnant and non-repugnant categories, by investigating whether the content of intrusive thought moderates the relationship between the thoughts and appraisals and control strategies. Finally, this study aimed to provide further evidence regarding whether general beliefs implicated in cognitive models of OCD (e.g., responsibility, importance of thoughts) influence the occurrence of intrusions via maladaptive appraisals and control strategies. Overall, it was found that while overall intrusive thought frequency, distress, ease and importance of dismissal all varied significantly by site, their relationship with appraisals and control strategies did not. Generally, appraisals and action taken to confront the thought were the more consistent predictors, with the notably caveat that the relationship between thought frequency and appraisals was not strong. Second, repugnant vs. non-repugnant thought-content differed only with respect to thought frequency, but thought-content did not moderate the relationship between intrusive thoughts and control strategies and appraisals. Finally, appraisals and control strategies generally partially mediated the relationship between general OCD-related beliefs and the occurrence of, and distress associated with, intrusive thoughts. The results are taken to add credence to cognitive models of OCD and their validity across cultures.

The mediating role of disgust sensitivity and thought-action fusion between religiosity and obsessive compulsive symptoms.

Psychological theories of obsessions and compulsions have long recognised that strict religious codes and moral standards might promote thought-action fusion (TAF) appraisals. These appraisals have been implicated in the transformation of normally occurring intrusions into clinically distressing obsessions. Furthermore, increased disgust sensitivity has also been reported to be associated with obsessive compulsive (OC) symptoms. No research, however, has investigated the mediating roles of TAF and disgust sensitivity between religiosity and OC symptoms. This study was composed of 244 undergraduate students who completed measures of OC symptoms, TAF, disgust sensitivity, religiosity and negative effect. Analyses revealed that the relationship between religiosity and OC symptoms was mediated by TAF and disgust sensitivity. More importantly, the mediating role of TAF was not different across OC symptom subtypes, whereas the mediating role of disgust sensitivity showed different patterns across OC symptom subtypes. These findings indicate that the tendency for highly religious Muslims to experience greater OC symptoms is related to their heightened beliefs about disgust sensitivity and the importance of thoughts.

The Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) as a measure of obsessive beliefs in relation to disgust

The Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) was utilized as a means of interpreting disgust in terms of the six domains of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder as defined by the Obsessive Compulsive Cognitions Working Group; excessive responsibility, overestimation of threat, perfectionism, intolerance for uncertainty, over importance of thoughts and need to control thoughts. A non-clinical sample (N=44 undergraduate students) completed an IRAP designed to assess appraisals of disgust-inducing pictorial stimuli based on the six belief domains at the implicit level. A series of self-report measures including the Obsessive-Beliefs Questionnaire, the Padua Inventory and the STAI were also implemented. Results indicated that a greater bias toward appraising disgusting stimuli as being negative was related to excessive responsibility and overestimation of threat along with perfectionism and intolerance for uncertainty. Critically, these effects were found to be independent of anxiety supporting the influence of disgust responding in the etiology of OC tendencies.

Suppressing disgust related thoughts and performance on a subsequent behavioural avoidance task: Implications for OCD

We tested whether suppressing disgust related thoughts, compared with no suppression, differentially affected target thought frequency and emotional responses, and whether this was related to participants' cognitive inhibition abilities. We also tested whether different control instructions during a thought control task would affect performance on a subsequent behavioural avoidance task involving disgust related stimuli. Sixty university students, pre-selected on their level of disgust propensity/sensitivity, were instructed to either suppress or not to suppress all target-related thoughts following viewing of a disgust-related film fragment. Thought suppression immediately reduced target thought frequency, but only for participants with good inhibitory control. Thought suppression led to sustained thought frequency and levels of disgust after suppression was lifted, whereas a significant drop was observed for these measures in the no-suppression group. Thought control instructions did not affect performance on the behavioural avoidance task at the group level. However, regression analyses showed that changes in thought frequency during thought suppression interacted with beliefs concerning importance of thoughts and thought control when predicting fear and disgust reactions during the behavioural task.

The “Arnold Schwarzenegger Effect”: Is strength of the “victim” related to misinterpretations of harm intrusions?

The present study used an in vivo paradigm to examine whether the victim's vulnerability in a harm-related intrusion affects beliefs about the importance of thoughts (i.e., Thought Action Fusion; TAF). Sixty-six undergraduate students at a large university were randomly assigned to imagine either a vulnerable (e.g., elderly man) or able-bodied individual (e.g., strong youthful male) they know getting into a car accident and provided in vivo ratings of anxiety, guilt, likelihood, moral wrongness, and urges to neutralize. Results indicated that thinking of car accident involving a vulnerable, compared to an able-bodied person, provoked more distress (anxiety and guilt), stronger feelings of moral wrongness, greater urges to cancel the effects of thinking such thoughts, and higher estimates of the likelihood that the collision would occur. The findings of our study broadly support Rachman's (1998) assertion that more significance and importance is attached to negative thoughts about vulnerable or helpless people. Current findings are discussed in terms of the cognitive-behavioral model of obsessions and clinical implications are addressed.

Cognitive appraisals and quality of life in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder

In a cross sectional study, we examined the contribution of cognitive appraisals to the quality of life (QOL) in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Thirty one patients with the DSMIV diagnosis of OCD and 30 normal volunteers from community completed the Interpretation of Intrusions Inventory-31 (III-31), the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Patients scored higher than the normal controls on ‘inflated personal responsibility’, ‘thought control’, and ‘importance of thoughts’. Patients' QOL were poorer than that of normal controls. Cognitive appraisals of ‘thought control’ (r=−0.56, p<0.01), ‘importance of thoughts’ (r=−0.49, p<0.01), and ‘inflated responsibility’ (r=−0.62, p<0.01) correlated negatively with the psychological domain of QOL after controlling for the duration of illness and the severity of depressive, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Total QOL correlated negatively with ‘thought control’ and ‘inflated personal responsibility’. Our findings suggest that cognitive appraisals contribute significantly to the poor QOL in patients with OCD. Therefore, modification of beliefs and appraisals may be essential for better QOL in patients with OCD.

Obsessive Beliefs Predict Cognitive Behavior Therapy Outcome for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Cognitive accounts of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) assert that core beliefs are crucial to the development, maintenance, and treatment of the disorder. There are a number of obsessive beliefs that are considered fundamental to OCD, including personal responsibility, threat estimation, perfectionism, need for certainty, importance of thoughts, and thought control. The present study investigated if pretreatment severity of obsessive beliefs, as well as the change in obsessive beliefs following treatment, predicted intensive, residential cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment outcome. A series of hierarchical regression analyses were carried out to investigate the relations between obsessive beliefs and treatment outcome. Results indicated that inflated pretreatment responsibility/threat estimation beliefs were significantly related to less overall obsessive compulsive (OC) symptom reduction at discharge, explaining 2% of the overall variance. Changes in obsessive beliefs broadly, and importance/control of thoughts specifically, were positively related to overall OC symptom reduction at discharge, respectively explaining 18% and 3.6% variance. Results are modestly consistent with a number of theoretical models, which argue that inflated responsibility, threat estimation, and thought control are important to the maintenance and treatment of OCD.

S.06.05 Gender and distinct correlates of disgust sensitivity in OCD

Cognitive models of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) purport that obsessions are normal intrusive thoughts that are misappraised as significant, leading to negative emotional responses and maladaptive attempts to control the thoughts and related emotions. This paper utilised a large multi-national dataset of interview data regarding intrusive thoughts, to investigate three questions related to the cognitive model of OCD and to its stability across cultures. First, the paper aimed to investigate the implicit yet-hitherto-untested assumption of cognitive models that misappraisals and control strategies for intrusive thoughts relate similarly across cultures. Second, this study aimed to build upon recent studies categorising intrusive thoughts into repugnant and non-repugnant categories, by investigating whether the content of intrusive thought moderates the relationship between the thoughts and appraisals and control strategies. Finally, this study aimed to provide further evidence regarding whether general beliefs implicated in cognitive models of OCD (e.g., responsibility, importance of thoughts) influence the occurrence of intrusions via maladaptive appraisals and control strategies. Overall, it was found that while overall intrusive thought frequency, distress, ease and importance of dismissal all varied significantly by site, their relationship with appraisals and control strategies did not. Generally, appraisals and action taken to confront the thought were the more consistent predictors, with the notably caveat that the relationship between thought frequency and appraisals was not strong. Second, repugnant vs. non-repugnant thought-content differed only with respect to thought frequency, but thought-content did not moderate the relationship between intrusive thoughts and control strategies and appraisals. Finally, appraisals and control strategies generally partially mediated the relationship between general OCD-related beliefs and the occurrence of, and distress associated with, intrusive thoughts. The results are taken to add credence to cognitive models of OCD and their validity across cultures.

The effects of familiarity on thought–action fusion

The present study examined whether beliefs about the importance of thoughts (i.e., thought–action fusion; TAF) are related to the target subject of the negative thought. One hundred and seven undergraduate students were randomly assigned to imagine either a beloved relative or a stranger being diagnosed with cancer and provided in vivo ratings of anxiety, likelihood, moral wrongness, urge to neutralize, and how upsetting the event would be if it occurred. Results indicated that thinking of a relative being diagnosed with cancer provoked more distress, urges to neutralize, and higher estimates of likelihood, as well greater use of mental neutralizing behaviors, compared to thinking of a stranger. Contrary to our prediction, the groups did not differ in their ratings of the moral wrongness. These findings broadly support the assertion that the more personally significant a negative intrusive thought, the more it will provoke distress and urges to neutralize. Results are discussed in terms of the cognitive model of obsessions and clinical implications are addressed.

Parenting and Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms: Implications of Authoritarian Parenting

Cognitive behavioral theories of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have hypothesized a central role of social learning in the development of OCD. Research indicates that learning via key developmental relationships, such as parent–child interactions, may account for the emergence and maintenance of OC symptoms in adulthood. Baumrind identified three parental authority prototypes or styles, including permissive, authoritative, and authoritarian, that differ on the two dimensions of nurture and behavioral control. Permissive parents allow their children to do as they wish with little discipline, whereas authoritative parents implement reasonable guidelines while still providing a warm and nurturing environment. The third style, authoritarian, represents parenting that is rigid and values strict adherence to rules with lower levels of nurturing. To date, there has been no study examining these parenting styles and OCD symptomatology. The current investigation examined the relationships between parenting styles, obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms, and OC-related dysfunctional beliefs (i.e., “obsessive beliefs”) in a nonclinical sample (N = 227). Participants completed measures of these constructs, as well as a measure of general mood and anxiety symptoms. Results indicated that the authoritarian parenting style was significantly associated with both OC symptoms and OC beliefs (e.g., beliefs about the importance of thoughts and personal responsibility), even after controlling for general distress. Analyses also revealed that OC beliefs act as a partial mediator of the relationship between parenting style and OC symptoms. Findings are discussed in light of the implications for future research, particularly that pertaining to risk for OCD and the development of vulnerability factors.

Laveurs, vérificateurs, ruminateurs : spécificité des croyances dysfonctionnelles, des obsessions et des compulsions ?

Trois questionnaires du domaine du trouble obsessionnel compulsif (TOC), l’inventaire de Padoue, le questionnaire des croyances obsessionnelles (QCO) et l’inventaire des interprétations des intrusions ont été étudiés sur des sujets cliniques (TOC) et des sujets non cliniques. Les versions françaises vérifient les résultats internationaux : les trois questionnaires différencient les deux groupes de sujets. Dans le groupe de sujets TOC, trois catégories de sujets ont été retenues : les sujets laveurs, les sujets vérificateurs et les sujets ruminateurs. Les sujets laveurs se différencient des deux autres catégories de sujets TOC sur la dimension contamination de l’inventaire de Padoue. Il en est de même pour la dimension « vérification », les sujets vérificateurs ont des scores statistiquement plus élevés que les sujets laveurs et les sujets ruminateurs. En revanche, les deux dimensions « inquiétude sur le contrôle moteur » et « contrôle affaibli sur les conduites mentales » ne permettent pas de différencier les sujets ruminateurs des deux autres catégories de sujets. Les catégories de sujets TOC ne se différencient pas sur les six dimensions théoriques du QCO. Lorsqu’on s’intéresse aux dimensions de la version réduite du QCO (QCO 44), il apparaît que seule la dimension « contrôle et importance de la pensée » différencie les groupes de sujets TOC, plus particulièrement les sujets vérificateurs ont des scores plus faibles que les sujets ruminateurs. The aim of the present study is to explore the validity of the Padua inventory and two belief questionnaires: the obsessive beliefs questionnaire (OBQ) and the interpretation of intrusions inventory (III). The Padua inventory is a 60-item self-report measurement of obsessive compulsive symptoms that measures both classic compulsive checking and cleaning behaviour as well as various types of obsessions, including impulsions. Studies in several countries have provided support for the reliability and validity of the Padua inventory, including Italy, the Netherlands, North America, and the UK. The obsessive beliefs questionnaire assesses belief domains related to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): inflated responsibility, importance of thoughts, control of thoughts, overestimation of threat, perfectionism, and intolerance of uncertainty. It consists of 87 items representing dysfunctional assumptions covering these six domains. The interpretation of intrusions inventory consists of 31 items that refer to interpretations of intrusions that have occurred recently. Three of the above domains are represented: importance of thoughts, control of thoughts and responsibility. Data from clinical or non-clinical samples are used to study the factor structure, reliability, and convergent and divergent validity of these two questionnaires. The three questionnaires were administrated to two groups of people as follows: 96 patients with OCD and 53 non-clinical subjects. The patients were selected from Rhone Alpes clinics and hospitals using DSM-IV criteria for diagnosis, prior to treatment. Diagnosis was based on semi-structured interview (MINI) and clinical interview by a trained psychiatrist using DSM-IV criteria. The second aim of the study was to investigate generality and congruence criterion of the subscales of the Padua inventory and beliefs domains in OCD symptom subtypes (rumination, washing, checking). The present study investigates whether specific OCD symptom subtypes are associated with specific symptom subscales and belief domains in an OCD sample. The criteria for categorizing a participant into an OCD symptom subtype was a score greater or equal to 75% of one main ritual. Fifty participants (52%) met these criteria: washing ( n = 20), rumination ( n = 16), checking ( n = 8), hoarding ( n = 1), perfectionism ( n = 3), and repeating ( n = 2). The other 46 subjects formed a non-specific symptom subtype (two or more rituals). Participants in the precision (perfectionism), the hoarding, and repeating symptom subtypes were excluded because of a small sample. The Padua inventory and the two questionnaires OBQ and III discriminated between French OCD and non clinical controls. In the OCD sample, the three subtypes (washers, rumination and checkers) did not differ from each other on total YBOCS score and total Padua score. The “washer” subjects scored higher than both “checker” subjects and subjects with rumination on the washing scale of the Padua inventory. The “checker” subjects scored higher than the two other subtypes on the checking scale. The impaired mental control and urges and worries of losing control scales failed to discriminate between the subjects with rumination and the two other (checking and washing) subtypes. The OBQ total and the six subscale scores failed to discriminate between the three OCD subtypes. These results were replicated with the III. The ANOVAs revealed that the participants in the rumination symptom subtype scored higher only on the importance/control of thoughts of the OBQ-44 than the participants in the checking subtype. Implications for future research are discussed.

Are the dysfunctional beliefs that predict worry different from those that predict obsessions?

AbstractChronic worry present in Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and obsessions characteristic of the Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are cognitive phenomena that share some features, but they also differ on others. Based on current cognitive approaches, dysfunctional meta‐cognitive beliefs underlie the development and/or maintenance of both GAD and OCD. However, to date, there has been little empirical evidence about the differences between the beliefs that predict the occurrence of obsessions and those that predict worry. This study focuses on the search for these differences and examines to what extent worry and obsessions are associated with a similar or different pattern of dysfunctional cognitive contents. One hundred and seventy‐five community subjects completed measures of worry and obsessional intrusive thoughts, as well as questionnaires assessing obsession‐related and worry‐related meta‐cognitive beliefs. Results showed that beliefs about uncontrollability and danger, as well as cognitive self‐consciousness, play a central role in predicting worry, whereas the beliefs concerning the importance of thoughts and Thought–Action Fusion probability are relevant in accounting for the frequency of obsessive intrusive thoughts. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Obsession subtypes : relationships with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, dysfunctional beliefs and thought control strategies

Obsessive themes can be classified into two main categories: autogenous obsessions and reactive obsessions. The first comprise highiy unacceptable and unrealistic thoughts, including aggressive, sexual and repulsive concerns. that can be conceptualised as «pure obsessions» (PO), whereas the second relate to relatively realistic doubts or thoughts with common themes dealing with contamination, mistakes or accidents, associated with overt actions taken to prevent the occu- rrence of negative outcomes, that can be conceptualised as obsessions plus compulsions (O-C). In this study, the ditTerences bctween PO and O-C in 39 Obsessive-Compulsive Disordered (OCD) outpatients are examined. Results: the O-C subtype associated with higher OCD severity and obses- sive-compulsive symptom measures, whereas the PO subtype related to harming impulses only. PO also showed a significant relationship with dysfunctional beliefs as to responsibility. overestima- tion of threat and meta-cognitive beliefs (thought-action fusion, importance of thoughts and the control over them ), as well as with a tendency to the concealment of obsessions. O-C only related to worry as a thought control strategy. Kcywords: Pure obsessions, Autogenous obsessions. Reactive obsessions, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD subtypes, Obsessive dysfunctional beliefs, Thought control strategies.