Shortened General Attitude and Belief Scale – SGABS
Measures irrational and rational beliefs based on the principles of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT).
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Shortened General Attitude and Belief Scale – SGABS was developed by Lindner, H., Kirkby, R., Wertheim, E., & Birch, P. (1999). It is designed to measure Irrational Beliefs. The scale is intended for use with Adults and adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 26 items organized into 7 factors/subscales: Need for Achievement, Demand for Fairness, Need for Comfort, Rationality, Need for Approval, Self-Downing, Other Downing.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Need for Achievement | 1,11,18,20 | 4 |
| Demand for Fairness | 2,12,14,21 | 4 |
| Need for Comfort | 3,5,16,17 | 4 |
| Rationality | 4,9,19,24 | 4 |
| Need for Approval | 6,23,25 | 3 |
| Self-Downing | 7,10,13,22 | 4 |
| Other Downing | 8,15,26 | 3 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 4 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 26 to 130. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Irrationality: 26 – 52
- Moderate Irrationality: 53 – 78
- High Irrationality: 79 – 104
- Very High Irrationality: 105 – 130
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Subscale alphas range from 0.61 to 0.88.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.