Irrational Belief

Irrational Belief Scales Based on the Ellis Model

Belief Scale (BS)/No/ M.S. Belief Scale‚ MSBS‚ Irrational Belief Scale‚ IBS

Malouff & Schutte‚ 1986

20 items/ 1 factor

5-point Likert

Depression‚ neuroticism.

“It is terrible when things do not go the way I would like.”

“Life should be easier than it is.”

“To be happy‚ I must maintain the approval of all the persons I consider significant.”

Camatta & Na-goshi Scale/No/ NA

Camatta & Nagoshi‚ 1995

10 items/ Not re-ported

Not re-ported

Research; Predictor of alcohol use problems.

“It is awful and catastrophic when things are not the way I’d like them to be.”

“I have little or no ability to control the sorrows and disturbances in my life.”

Child and Adolescent scale of Irrationality (CASI)/

Short form (CASI- Revised)/ NA

Bernard & Laws‚ 1987

44 items/ 6 sub-scales

5-point Likert

Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly

Emotional problems; Anxiety‚ depression in younger population.

“I can’t stand ha‎ving to behave well and follow rules.”

“It’s really awful to have lots of homework to do.”

“Teachers should really act fairly all the time.”

Common Beliefs Survey-III (CBS-III)/ Short form Ex-ists (CBS-II SF)/ NA

Bessai‚ 1977

54 items/ 9 sub-scales

5-point Likert

Unpublished; contact scale author for a copy

Clinical instrument to distinguish clients from non-clients (clinical population not identified); Anxiety‚ depression.

“There is a right way to do every-thing.”

“Being approved by others is very important.”

“A person can’t help feeling guilty about wrongdoings.”

Ellis Emotional Efficiency Inventory (EEEI)/ No/NA

Ellis‚ 1992

60 items/ 3 factors

5-point Likert

Designed to measure an individual’s ability to cope with emotional dysfunction associated with awful zing‚ ego-disturbance and discomfort disturbance.

“I often pity myself when people treat me unfairly.”

“I am quite pessimistic and often see things in a bad or hopeless light.”

“I often feel insulted and embarrassed.”

Evaluative Beliefs Scale (EBS)/No/ NA

Chadwick‚ Trower‚ & Dagnan‚ 1999

18 items/

3 factors

5-point Likert

Research; Nature of evaluative beliefs in individuals with anger disorders.

“I am a total failure.”

“People think I’m a bad person.”

“Other people are worthless.”

General Attitude and Belief Scale (GABS)/No/Attitudes Belief Scale 2‚ ABS 2‚ A&B II‚ ABS II

DiGiuse- ppe‚ Leaf‚ Exner‚ & Robin‚ 1988

72 items/7 sub-scales

5-point Likert

Unpublished; contact scale authors for a copy

Research; To unravel the dynamics of behavior disorders‚ the irrational beliefs behind them.

“I can’t stand hassles in my life.”

“I cannot tolerate not doing well at important tasks and it is unbearable to fail.”

“I must be liked by important people‚ and I will not accept not being liked by them.”

Idea Inventory/No/NA

Kassinove‚ Crisci‚ & Tiegerm- an‚ 1977

33items/ 4 factors

3-point Likert

Journal of Community Psychology

To measure rationality across age (i.e.‚ developmental trends in rationality).

“I feel like I’m a stupid person when I don’t do as well as my friends.”

“I constantly worry about dangerous accidents occurring.”

“I get upset and angry then my plans go wrong.”

Irrational Beliefs Inventory (IBI)/No/NA

Koopmans‚ Sanderm- an‚ Timm- erman & Emmelka- mp‚ 1994

50 items/

5 sub-scales

5-point Likert

European Journal of Psychological Assessment

Research; Role of irrational beliefs in depression. Also phobias‚ OCD‚ pro-crastination‚ para-normal beliefs.

“I hate to fail at anything.”

“I often get excited or upset when things go wrong.”

“I avoid facing my problems.

Irrational Beliefs Survey (IBS)/No/Irrational Beliefs Scale

Watson‚ Vassar‚ Plemel‚ Herder‚ Manifold‚ & Ander-son‚ 1990

11 items/

4 factors

5-point Likert

Journal of Clinical Psychology

Research instrument; Designed to opera-tionalize Ellisonian irrational beliefs.

“I am often upset over other people’s problems.”

“It is easier to avoid some of life’s difficulties and responsibilities than it is to face them.”

“I do not believe I am worthwhile unless I am thoroughly competent at everything I do.”

irrational Beliefs Test (IBT)/IBT Revised (Woods‚ 1992)/NA

Jones‚ 1968

100 items/

8 factors

5-point Likert

Unpublished; contact scale author for a copy

Research; To identify the role of irrational beliefs in depression‚ assertiveness‚ locus of control‚ self-esteem‚ social skills deficits‚ alcoholism.

“I dislike for others to make my decisions for me.”

“It is annoying but not upsetting to be criticized.”

“I find it hard to go against what others think.”

Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory (PCI)/No/NA

Flett‚ Hew-itt‚ Blank-stein & Gray‚ 1998

25 items/

1 factor

5-point Likert

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

A measure of automatic thoughts that reflect personality factors associated with vulnerability to psychological disorders; specifically anxiety‚ depression.

“Why can’t I be perfect?”

“Things are seldom ideal.”

“I am too much of a perfectionist.”

Rational Behavior Inventory (RBI)/No/NA

Shorkey & Whiteman‚ 1977

38 items/

11 factors

5-point Likert

Educational and Psycho-logical Measurement

Clinical instrument for assessment‚ treatment planning‚ & evaluation of clients‚ by therapists who used RET.

“I find that my occupation and social life tend to make me unhappy.”

“I usually try to avoid chores which I dislike doing.”

“I worry about little things.”

Situational Self-Statement and Affective State Inventory (SSSASI)/No/NA

Harrell‚ Cham-bless‚ & Calhoun‚ 1981

5 items/

10 factors

5-point Likert

Cognitive Therapy and Research

Useful in assessing dimensions important to REBT; that certain classes of maladaptive cognitions are linked to emotional distress (anxiety‚ depression). There is also a SSSASI- thoughts measure.

In response to situations;

“I’ve really done a lousy job. I’ve let everybody down. My work just hasn’t been any good. I don’t think I can do any better.”

“I wish I had done better. I still think my work is good and with a little more persistence‚ I will do better in the next contest.”

“I guess it really is difficult for people to straighten things out some-times. I hope when we see each other again we’ll be able to talk without so much conflict.”

Smith Irrational Beliefs Inventory (SIBI)/No/NA

Smith‚ 2002

24 items/

6 factors

4-point Likert

Stress management: A comprehensive handbook of techniques and strategies

Research instrument; Attempts to address the issue of the factor structure of irrational belief items “to identify a core set of replicable and meaningful irrational belief factors”.

“I always need help on important problems.”

“Things didn’t turn out like I wanted; this is a disaster.”

“I’m just a failure.”

Survey of Personal Beliefs (SPB)/No/NA

Demaria‚ Kassinove‚ & Dill‚ 1989

50 items/

5 factors

6-point Likert

Journal of Personality Assessment

Identifying irrational beliefs in clinical & university populations. Expression of anger‚ hopelessness‚ anxiety‚ depression‚ all due to the RET theoretical emphasis on irrational thinking.

“There are some things in life that I just can’t stand.”

“There are times when awful things happen.”

“I clearly should not make some of the mistakes I make.”

Automatic Thoughts Ques-tionnaire-30 (ATQ-30)/Companion piece ATQ-N/ NA

Hollon & Kendall‚ 1980

30 items/

4 factors

5-point Likert

Cognitive Therapy and Research

Designed to measure automatic thoughts associated with depression.

“I can’t finish anything.”

“I’m a loser.”

“My life is a mess.”

Cognition Checklist (CCL)/No/NA

Beck‚ Brown‚ Steer‚ Eidelson‚ & Riskind‚ 1987

26 items/

2 factors

5-point Likert

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

Designed to measure the content-specificity hypothesis of the cognitive model by measuring the frequency of automatic thoughts relevant to anxiety and depression.

“I will never overcome my problems.”

“I’m a social failure.”

“People will laugh at me.”

Cognitive Triad Inventory (CTI)/No/NA

Beckham‚ Leber‚ Watkins‚ Boyer‚ & Cook‚ 1986

36 items/

6 factors

7-point Likert

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Role of the cognitive triad in the development and maintenance of depression.

“I can’t do anything right.”

“There is no reason for me to be hopeful about my future.”

“My family doesn’t care what hap-pens to me.”

Crandell Cogni-tions Inventory (CCI)/No/NA

Crandell & Cham-bless‚ 1986

45 items/

4 factors

5-point Likert

Behaviour Research and Therapy

A measure of frequency of depressive thoughts; designed to measure self-referent statements associated with depression.

“Everything I do is a failure.”

“I’ll never do as well as others.”

“Nothing seems exciting anymore.”

Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS)/Two parallel 40-item forms DAS-A‚ DAS-B/NA

Weissman & Beck‚ 1978

100 items/

9 factors

7-point Likert

Unpublished; contact scale authors for copy

Designed to measure Depressiongenic schemas constituting predispositions to depression.

“Being alone leads to unhappiness.”

“If I ask a question‚ it makes me look stupid.”

“I am nothing if a person I love doesn’t love me.”

General Cognitive Error Questionnaire (CEQ)/No/NA

LeFebvre‚ 1981

24 vi-gnettes/

NA

5-point Likert

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Measures cognitive errors linked to depression; Also looked at levels of depression in bulimia.

“Last time you went skiing‚ you took a hard fall and got shook up. You’re supposed to go skiing this weekend but think‚ ‘I’ll probably fall and break my leg and there will be no one to help me.’”

“You have been working for six months as a car salesperson. You had never been a salesperson before and were just fired because you were not meeting your quotas. You thought‚ ‘Why try to get another job‚ I’ll just get fired. ’”

“Last night your spouse said s/he thought you should have a serious discussion about sex. You think to yourself‚ ‘S/he hates the way we make love.’”

Personality Belief Questionnaire (PBQ)/PBQ-Short Form/NA

Beck & Beck‚ 1991

126 items/

9 sub-scales

5-point Likert

Unpublished; contact scale authors for a copy

Examines role of irrational beliefs in personality disorders: Avoidant‚ obsessive-compulsive‚ dependent‚ narcissistic‚ paranoid‚ and borderline.

“I am socially inept and socially undesirable in work or social situations.”

“Unpleasant feelings will escalate and get out of control.”

“I am helpless when I’m left on my own.”

Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (FNE)/No/NA

Watson & Friend‚ 1969

30 items/2 factors

True/ False

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Assess degree of apprehension at the prospect of being evaluated negatively.

“I often worry that I will say or do wrong things.”

“I am frequently afraid of other people noticing my shortcomings.”

“I worry about what kind of impression I make on people.”

Penn State Worry Scale/ No/NA

Meyer‚ Miller‚ Metzger‚ & Borkovec‚ 1990

16 items/1 factor

5-point Likert

Behavior Research and Therapy

Identify the role of worry in anxiety disorders

“I worry all the time.”

“My worries overwhelm me.”

“Once I start worrying‚ I can’t stop.”