Bullied Cognitions Inventory (BCI)

Abstract

The Bullied Cognitions Inventory (BCI; Graham & Ehlers, 2023) is a 15-item instrument designed to evaluate beliefs regarding oneself and others in the context of bullying experiences among young individuals who have been subjected to bullying. This measure addresses a gap in existing bullying-related assessments, as it was specifically developed within bullied samples. The initial development involved crafting twenty-three items based on a comprehensive qualitative analysis of interviews with young people who experienced bullying, an extensive literature review, and consultations with expert clinicians. The BCI was administered to young individuals in the UK who had been bullied. Subsequent exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a robust 4-factor structure, ultimately retaining 15 items. Comprehensive results regarding the reliability and validity of the BCI have been reported.

Keywords

Bullied Cognitions, Bullying Experiences, Bullying-Related Cognitions, Degraded in the Eyes of Others, Negative Interpretations of Reactions to Bullying, Recognizable as a Bullying Victim, Social Defeat, Cognitions, Self-Concept, Self-Evaluation, Social Interaction, Victimization, Bullying, Emerging Adulthood, Traumatic Experiences, Cognitive Measures, Youth Mental Health

Authors

Graham, Belinda; Ehlers, Anke

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Purpose

The primary purpose of the Bullied Cognitions Inventory (BCI) is to assess beliefs about self and others that are associated with bullying experiences.

Validity

Convergent Validity: Convergent validity was partially substantiated. The percentage of variance explained by the extracted factors was above 0.5 for most items, with the exception of item 12 (r2 = 0.472), item 15 (r2 = 0.451), item 19 (r2 = 0.397), item 22 (r2 = 0.419), and item 23 (r2 = 0.453).

Discriminant Validity: Discriminant validity was considered marginally acceptable, with factor correlations ranging between 0.766 and 0.898.

Criterion Validity: Criterion validity for the full BCI scale was established through significant medium-large Pearson correlations with symptoms of social anxiety (r = 0.57) and PTSD (r = 0.65). Furthermore, when accounting for existing cognitive measures, the BCI demonstrated the ability to explain additional variance in symptoms of PTSD, although not in social anxiety.

Reliability

Internal Consistency: The internal consistency of the BCI was found to be very good for both individual factors (Cronbach’s 𝛼 ranging from 0.82 to 0.85) and the full scale (𝛼 = 0.93).

Test-retest Reliability: One-week test–retest reliability was excellent for the total scale (r = 0.88). For individual factors, test-retest reliability was either excellent or good: Factor 1 (r = 0.76), Factor 2 (r = 0.84), Factor 3 (r = 0.80), and Factor 4 (r = 0.68).

Factor Analysis

Exploratory Factor Analysis: Initially, five items were removed from the scale due to extreme skewness, very low correlation with main outcomes, repetitive wording with another item, unclear concepts, or unclear wording. The remaining 18 items were then subjected to an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Fit statistics indicated poor fit for a two-factor solution, marginally acceptable fit for a three-factor solution, and excellent fit for a four-factor solution (TLI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.06, χ2 = 245.48 on df = 101, χ2:df = 2.43). Items with relatively low factor loadings (< 0.4) and/or high complexity, as indicated by high cross-loadings, were subsequently deleted. The final four-factor solution, retaining 15 items, explained 52.5% of the variance (TLI = 0.911, RMSEA = 0.092, χ2= 250.47 on df = 52, χ2:df = 4.82).

Confirmatory Factor Analysis: The four-factor model exhibited acceptable fit for the data, as evidenced by the following fit indices: CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.08 (CI 0.07–0.09), χ2 = 299.11 on df = 84, and χ2:df = 3.56.

Instrument: Bullied Cognitions Inventory (BCI)

Test Type: Original Inventory/Questionnaire
Format: Responses to statements about self and others related to bullying experiences over the last month are made on a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (totally disagree) to 7 (totally agree). Higher scores indicate more maladaptive appraisals. The administration method is electronic.
Language Available: English
Population Group: Human; Male; Female
Age Group: Adulthood (18 yrs & older); Young Adulthood (18-29 yrs)
Population Details: Gender Identities Reported: “Other”. Location: United Kingdom. Respondents: Bullying Victims.
Test Methodology: Test Validity (Convergent Validity, Criterion Validity, Discriminant Validity), Test Reliability (Internal Consistency, Test-Retest Reliability), Factor Analysis (Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis), Qualitative Assessment Methods.

Keywords

Bullied Cognitions, Bullying Experiences, Bullying-Related Cognitions, Degraded in the Eyes of Others, Negative Interpretations of Reactions to Bullying, Recognizable as a Bullying Victim, Social Defeat, Cognitions, Self-Concept, Self-Evaluation, Social Interaction, Victimization, Bullying, Emerging Adulthood, Traumatic Experiences, Cognitive Measures, Youth Mental Health

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Authors

Author OCRID Identifier: No data is Available

Affiliation:
Graham, Belinda: University of Oxford Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma
Ehlers, Anke: University of Oxford Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma

Email addresses:
Graham, Belinda: [email protected]
Ehlers, Anke: No data is Available

Correspondence Address:
Graham, Belinda: [email protected]

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: May use for Research/Teaching.
Commercial Use: No
Fee: No
Test Year: 2023
Web Site: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en

References

Graham, B., & Ehlers, A. (2023). Development and validation of the Bullied Cognitions Inventory (BCI). Cognitive Therapy and Research, 47(6), 1033–1045. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-023-10412-6

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Items of the Bullied Cognitions Inventory (BCI)

The Bullied Cognitions Inventory (BCI) consists of 15 items, which load onto four distinct factors:

Factors:

• Degraded in the eyes of others

• Negative interpretations of reactions to bullying

• Recognizable as a bullying victim

• Social defeat

Number of items: 15 items
Test Location: 2024-08379-001, Table 2, Page 1040

Bullying Cognitions Inventory (BCI)

Items

Degraded in the Eyes of Others

• 11. If I told someone I was picked on, they would think I am weak.

• 12. It is shameful to have been picked on.

• 13. If people knew I was picked on, they would think less of me.

Negative Interpretations of Reactions to Bullying

• 23. I need to prove to myself I’m different from what I was then.

• 15. My reaction to being picked on is overdramatic.

• 16. It is embarrassing that I still think about it.

• 19. It is unreasonable to feel bad as much worse things can happen.

• 20. It is my fault that I am not moving on.

• 22. I need to succeed to show I’m better than them.

Recognizable as a Bullying Victim

• 4. People see me as the type of person who gets picked on.

• 14. When I meet someone new, they can sense that I’ve been picked on.

• 21. I’m likely to be picked on again.

Social Defeat

• 8. I have been totally degraded.

• 17. I have been completely humiliated.

• 5. If I hadn’t been picked on, maybe I would be a better person.

Note: Statements inquire about self and others related to bullying experiences over the last month. Response options range from 1 (totally disagree) to 7 (totally agree). Higher scores indicate more maladaptive appraisals.