Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire Research Articles

Hierarchical Structure of Dysfunctional Beliefs in Obsessive‐Compulsive Disorder

The Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire was developed as a comprehensive measure of dysfunctional beliefs, which cognitive models consider to be etiologically related to obsessive‐compulsive disorder. Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire subscales tend to be highly correlated, which raises the question of whether obsessive‐compulsive‐related beliefs are hierarchically structured, consisting of lower‐order factors loading on 1 or more higher‐order factors. To investigate the nature and relative importance of these factors, a hierarchical factor analysis was conducted (n = 202 obsessive‐compulsive disorder patients), using a Schmid‐Leiman transformation. Results indicated a higher‐order (general factor) and 3 lower‐order factors: (i) responsibility and overestimation of threat, (ii) perfectionism and intolerance of uncertainty and (iii) importance and control of thoughts. The high‐order factor accounted for more variance in Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire scores (22%) than did the lower‐order factors (6–7%), thereby underscoring the importance of the higher‐order factor. Despite the importance of the higher‐order factor, the lower‐order factors significantly predicted unique variance in measures of obsessive‐compulsive symptoms, including severity ratings of compulsions. These finding suggest that cognitive models of obsessive‐compulsive disorder should take into consideration the hierarchic structure of obsessive‐compulsive‐related beliefs.

Psychometric validation of the obsessive belief questionnaire and interpretation of intrusions inventory—Part 2: Factor analyses and testing of a brief version

The Obsessive Belief Questionnaire (OBQ) and the Interpretation of Intrusions Inventory (III) were designed to assess beliefs and appraisals considered critical to the pathogenesis of obsessions. In previous reports we have described the construction and psychometric properties of these measures. In this study a battery of questionnaires assessing anxiety, depression, and obsessive compulsive symptoms was completed by 410 outpatients diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder, 105 non-obsessional anxious patients, 87 non-clinical adults from the community, and 291 undergraduate students. Items from 6 theoretically derived subscales of the OBQ were submitted to factor analysis. Three factors emerged reflecting (1) Responsibility and threat estimation, (2) Perfectionism and intolerance for uncertainty, and (3) Importance and control of thoughts. A 44-item version (OBQ-44) composed of high-loading items from the 3 factors showed good internal consistency and criterion-related validity in clinical and non-clinical samples. Subscales showed less overlap than original scales. Factor analysis of the III yielded a single factor, suggesting the total score be used in lieu of the 3 rationally derived subscales. The scales performed well on tests of convergent validity. Discriminant validity was promising; hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the OBQ subscales and III generally predicted OC symptoms after controlling for general distress. A revision of the OBQ, the OBQ-44, is included in the appendix.

Are There Interactions Among Dysfunctional Beliefs in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?

Contemporary cognitive models of obsessive‐compulsive disorder emphasize the importance of various types of dysfunctional beliefs, such as beliefs about inflated responsibility, perfectionism and the importance of controlling one's thoughts. These beliefs have been conceptualized as main effects, each influencing obsessive‐compulsive symptoms independent of the contributions of other beliefs. It is not known whether beliefs interact with one another in their influence on obsessive‐compulsive symptoms. To investigate this issue, data from 248 obsessive‐compulsive disorder patients were analyzed. Dependent variables were the factor scores on the 4 Padua Inventory subscales. Predictor variables were the factor scores from the 3 factors (inflated responsibility, perfectionism and controlling one's thoughts) of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire and their 2‐ and 3‐way interactions. Regression analyses revealed significant main effects; in almost all analyses one or more of inflated responsibility, perfectionism, and controlling one's thoughts factors predicted scores on the Padua factors even after controlling for general distress. There was no evidence that beliefs interact in their effects on obsessive‐compulsive symptoms, thereby providing a relatively unusual instance in which a simpler explanation (main effects only) is just as powerful as a more complex model.

Inferential confusion in obsessive–compulsive disorder: the inferential confusion questionnaire

The current article represents the further validation of the construct of inferential confusion amongst clinical samples. Inferential confusion is proposed to be a meta-cognitive confusion particularly relevant to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) that leads a person to confuse an imagined possibility with an actual probability. As such, it conceptualizes OCD as a form of belief disorder similar to a delusion or overvalued idea that is a product of distorted reasoning processes. In contrast, other cognitive models of OCD emphasize a phobic model of development in OCD, and thus consider the exaggerated interpretation of intrusions as an essential element in OCD. The present study administered a revised version of the Inferential Confusion Questionnaire, and the Obsessive Belief Questionnaire (OBQ), to a total of 183 participants in three clinical groups and a non-clinical control group. Results suggest that OCD, at least in part, follows a non-phobic model of development with inferential confusion significantly related to obsessive–compulsive symptoms independently of cognitive domains as measured by the OBQ, and mood states. Further, scores on inferential confusion were particularly high in those with OCD and delusional disorder as compared to anxious and non-clinical controls.

Dimensionality of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ)

The Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ) is a self-report measure in development by the Obsessive Compulsive Cognitions Working Group (OCCWG), who studies cognitive aspects of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). The aim of this paper was to evaluate the dimensionality of the OBQ in students (n = 995). Two models were tested in a confirmatory framework, corresponding to the OCCWG's (a) original six subscales (87 items), and (b) more recent three subscales (44 items). Both models fit the present data poorly; thus, an exploratory analysis was undertaken. Results revealed one large factor that is relevant, but not unique, to OCD, and three factors that are conceptually consistent with the OCCWG's recent three: (a) distorted beliefs about one's own thoughts, (b) perfectionism, and (c) inflated responsibility. Convergent and divergent validity analyses of the present OBQ factors generally supported the preceding interpretations. Readers are referred to the work of the OCCWG for revisions to the OBQ.

A study of the psychometric properties of the Obsessive Beliefs Inventory and Interpretations of Intrusions Inventory on clinical Italian individuals

Forty-three individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), 17 with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and 50 non-clinical controls (SC), completed the Italian versions of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ) and the Interpretations of Intrusions Inventory (III), along with measures of obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms, depression, anxiety and worry. OBQ and III showed an excellent reliability and temporal stability. The six OBQ subscales were reasonably distinct from each other, whereas the three subscales of the III were highly interrelated. The OBQ, and in less measure the III, discriminated between OCD, GAD, and normal controls. In the OCD cohort, the two instruments correlated moderately with a measure of obsessive-compulsive symptoms but also with a measure of worry. However, a linear regression analysis evidenced a specific relationship between the OBQ and obsessive-compulsive symptoms over and above worry. Overall, at least three cognitive domains (intolerance of uncertainty, excessive concern about the importance of controlling one’s thoughts and perfectionism) seemed specific to OCD, whereas overimportance of thoughts and inflated responsibility barely discriminate clinically anxious individuals from non-clinical ones. It is concluded that OBQ and III are useful measures in Italian individuals and that more research is warranted to possibly refine these two instruments.

Psychometric validation of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire and the Interpretation of Intrusions Inventory: Part I

This article reports on the validation of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ) and Interpretations of Intrusions Inventory (III) developed by the Obsessive Compulsive Cognitions Working Group (OCCWG) to assess the primary beliefs and appraisals considered critical to the pathogenesis of obsessions. A battery of questionnaires that assessed symptoms of anxiety, depression, obsessive–compulsive symptoms and worry was administered to 248 outpatients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD), 105 non-obsessional anxious patients, 87 non-clinical adults from the community, and 291 undergraduate students. Tests of internal consistency and test–retest reliability indicated that the OBQ and III assessed stable aspects of OC-related thinking. Between-group differences and correlations with existing measures of OC symptoms indicated that the OBQ and III assess core cognitive features of obsessionality. However, the various subscales of the OBQ and III are highly correlated, and both measures evidenced low discriminant validity. The findings are discussed in terms of the relevance and specificity of cognitive constructs like responsibility, control and importance of thoughts, overestimated threat, tolerance of uncertainty and perfectionism for OCD.

Development and initial validation of the obsessive beliefs questionnaire and the interpretation of intrusions inventory

In 1995 the Obsessive Compulsive Cognitions Working Group initiated a collective process to develop two measures of cognition relevant to current cognitive–behavioural models of OCD. An earlier report (Behav. Res. Therapy, 35 (1997) 667) describes the original process of defining relevant domains. This article describes the subsequent steps of the development and validation process: item generation, scale reduction, and initial examination of reliability and validity. Two scales were developed. The Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire consists of 87 items representing dysfunctional assumptions covering six domains: overestimation of threat, tolerance of uncertainty, importance of thoughts, control of thoughts, responsibility, and perfectionism. 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. The item reduction and validation analyses were conducted on clinical and non-clinical samples from multiple sites. Initial examination of reliability and validity indicates excellent internal consistency and stability and encouraging evidence of validity. However, high correlations indicating overlap between some of the scales, particularly importance of thoughts, control of thoughts, and responsibility will need to be addressed in subsequent empirical and theoretical investigations.