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New Factor Structure of the Interpretation of Intrusions Inventory with University Students

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The Obsessive Compulsive Cognitions Working Group (OCCWG) created the Interpretation of Intrusions Inventory (III) to measure appraisals (interpretations) of mental intrusions. Validation attempts by the OCCWG suggest that the three appraisal mechanisms hypothesized to comprise the III are better described as a single construct. The underlying factor structure of the III was investigated with university students (n = 307). Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on the theoretically-derived three-factor model and on the empirically-derived one-factor model of the III. Both models failed to adequately fit the data. Thus, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted, which produced a two-factor model consisting of appraisals of Responsibility and Importance/Control of Thoughts. The new factors exhibited good predictive validity, as they predicted the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

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Notes

  1. Descriptive statistics on the III, PI-WSUR, and Y-BOCS are comparable to those produced by other college student samples (Burns et al., 1996; OCCWG, 2001; Steketee, Frost, & Bogart, 1996).

  2. CFAs were also conducted with the 21 multivariate outliers included on the one-factor model (χ2 = 1800.95, df = 405, p < .001; χ2/df = 4.45, CFI = .76, RMSEA = .11, TLI = .74, n = 296) and the three-factor model (χ2 = 1533.29, df = 402, p < .001; χ2/df = 3.81, CFI = .80, RMSEA = .10, TLI = .79, n = 296).

  3. An EFA conducted that included the 21 cases of multivariate outliers produced a two-factor solution. Factor one remained similar to the results without these cases, however, the second factor was altered substantially with only seven items meeting the ≥.55 cut-off. Thus, the 21 cases were deemed to be overly influential.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada

    Robert I. Ferguson, Josée L. Jarry & Dennis L. Jackson

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4

    Robert I. Ferguson

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Correspondence to Robert I. Ferguson.

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Ferguson, R.I., Jarry, J.L. & Jackson, D.L. New Factor Structure of the Interpretation of Intrusions Inventory with University Students. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 28, 222–231 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-005-9013-6

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