Inferential confusion,obsessive beliefs and obsessive–compulsive symptoms: a multidimensional investigation of cognitive domains

Generally, research into the relationship between cognitive domains and obsessive–compulsive symptoms involves the use of scales that are highly intercorrelated with each other. The current study investigates the relationship between cognitive constructs and obsessive–compulsive symptoms using the item set of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire and the Inferential Confusion Questionnaire. In order to create constructs that would not be excessively correlated with each other, factor scores were used to investigate the relationship between cognitive domains and obsessive–compulsive symptoms. Factor analysis followed by oblique rotation resulted in four moderately correlated cognitive constructs (importance/control of thoughts, inferential confusion/threat estimation, perfectionism/certainty and responsibility for preventing harm). With the exception of responsibility for preventing harm, the cognitive constructs under investigation were quite strongly related to obsessive–compulsive symptoms. In particular, hierarchical regression revealed the construct inferential confusion/threat estimation to be a global and strong predictor of obsessive–compulsive symptoms, followed by the constructs of perfectionism/certainty and the construct importance/control. Responsibility for preventing harm acted to be a negative predictor of obsessive–compulsive symptoms. It is concluded that the construct of inferential confusion acts as a more powerful predictor of obsessive–compulsive symptoms than any specific obsessive belief Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.