How Well Do Cognitive and Metacognitive Models Predict Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms?
Undergraduate: Melissa Nance
Faculty Advisor: Jonathan Abramowitz
Department: Psychology & Neuroscience
The research reported here was designed to expand upon the understanding that cognitive and metacognitive theories offer explanations for the development of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) by contrasting predictions derived from these models. The Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ-44) was used to measure beliefs considered to be critical to the etiology of OCD from the cognitive perspective. The Metacognitive Beliefs Questionnaire (MCQ-30) was used to measure beliefs related to monitoring and evaluating thoughts. Each of these models has support in that both cognitive and metacognitive beliefs are linked to OC symptoms, but the extent to which the OBQ and MCQ account for various obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms has not yet been compared. Partial correlations and hierarchical regression analyses provided a framework through which to compare the utility of these tools in predicting OC symptoms, while holding general distress constant. The OBQ significantly predicted OC symptoms related to responsibility for harm and unacceptable thoughts, whereas the MCQ significantly predicted OC symptoms related to unacceptable thoughts and symmetry. Neither the OBQ nor the MCQ significantly predicted OC contamination concerns, however, across regression models the MCQ and OBQ did differ in the amount of variance in OC symptoms that they could each explain. This study offers additional insight into how cognitive and metacognitive models align with various OC symptom domains.