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Perceived responsibility: structure and significance
S Rachman1, D S Thordarson, R Shafran
1Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Behaviour Research and Therapy
|September 1, 1995
Summary
This study developed a scale to measure inflated responsibility, finding it has multiple facets, with thought-action fusion being particularly linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This clarifies the complex relationship between responsibility beliefs and OCD symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Inflated responsibility is a key concept in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) etiology.
- A clear definition and reliable measurement tool for inflated responsibility are needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a self-report scale for measuring inflated responsibility.
- To explore the dimensional structure of inflated responsibility.
Main Methods:
- Two psychometric studies were conducted with student samples (N=291 and N=234).
- Development and revision of the Responsibility Appraisal Questionnaire (RAQ).
- Correlations with measures of obsessionality, guilt, and depression were examined.
Main Results:
- The Responsibility Appraisal Questionnaire (RAQ) identified four factors: responsibility for harm, social responsibility, positive outlook on responsibility, and thought-action fusion (TAF).
- The TAF subscale showed significant correlations with obsessionality, guilt, and depression, even after controlling for depression scores.
- Inflated responsibility is multifactorial and not solely linked to OCD.
Conclusions:
- The concept of inflated responsibility requires qualification and is not a unitary construct.
- The connection between inflated responsibility and OCD is situation-specific and idiosyncratic.
- Thought-action fusion (TAF) emerges as a particularly significant factor in the context of OCD.