Development Of The Middle-school Students' Irrational Belief Scale And The Intervention Of Irrational Beliefs

A rating scale (the Middle-school Students' Irrational Belief Scale)was developed to evaluate irrational beliefs among middle schoolstudents of China in this research. With this scale, as a screening tool,further intervention for students with irrational beliefs was provided andthe influence of the intervention strategies on students' mental healthproblems such as irrational beliefs, anxiety and depression was alsotested.Objectives:1. To develop a proper rating scale to evaluate irrational beliefs ofChinese middle-school students, to examine the reliability and validity ofthis scale and to construct a norm of the scale in Hunan province.2. To explore a group counselling strategy in the intervention ofstudents' irrational beliefs and the corresponding negative emotions andto test the effectiveness of this strategy on irrational beliefs and negativeemotions.Methods:1. Instrument Analysis Method: On the basis and innovation of Ellis'theory, a list of items was generated through methods like literaturereview, questionnaire survey, case interview and professional counselling,and with a reference to instruments like the SPB, the DAS and the ATQ.These items were then pre-tested in a sample of 260 middle schoolstudents and the MIBS was developed after a selection of the originalitems through factor analysis, variance analysis, correlation coefficientanalysis and stepwise regression. The MIBS was later administered to agroup of 800 middle school students through stratified group sampling, from which 120 students were tested with the SPB, the DAS and the ATQand 112 normal students were retested with the MIBS four weeks afterthe initial screening. Meanwhile, a clinic sample of 40 middle schoolstudents with anxiety or depression symptoms from the mental healthclinic for children and adolescents was tested with the SCARED, theDSRSC and the MIBS. The reliability of the MIBS was examined byanalysing average correlation, Cronbach'sαcoefficient, split halfcoefficient and retest correlation coefficient of the items and the validityof the MIBS (including content validity, criterion-related validity,demonstrative validity and structure validity) was also evaluated. A normof the MIBS (based on a sample of 1884 middle school students) inHunan Province was finally constructed.2. Experimental Intervention Method: The experimental groupconsisted of 32 middle school students with high MIBS scores and thecontrol group was composed of 32 normal middle school students. Withthe method of group counseling, these two groups were given 10 classes'intervention for irrational beliefs and negative emotions. They were alsopre-tested and post-tested with the MIBS, the CES-D, the T-AL, the CES,the SCL-90 and the coping style questionnaire. The effect of interventionwas tested through the pre-test and post-test results and a comparisonbetween the experimental group and the control group.Results:1. The results of the establishment of the MIBS: (1) The MIBS iscomposed of 40 items which divided into 4 factors: absoluteness desire,distort sensation, passive thinking and irrational coping. (2) Item analysis:The correlation coefficient between each item of the MIBS and its collectivity fraction is 0.301～0.589; the correlation between each itemand its factor is 0.336～0.647. (3) Reliability test, Cronbach'a coefficient:The whole scale is 0.901, each separated scale is 0.701～0.746. Re-testreliability: the whole scale is 0.834, each separated scale is 0.623～0.722.Split half reliability: the whole scale is 0.817, each separated scale is0.611～0.701 and each correlation has significance (p＜0.001). Theconsistency of each separated scale: the correlation coefficient betweeneach factor and its collectivity fraction is 0.736～0.826, the correlationcoefficient among each factor is 0.433～0.723, the correlations are allsignificant (p＜0.001). (4) Validity test: structure validity: the 4 factors ofthe explorative factor analysis could explain 44.07 percent of the wholevariability; the result of the validate factor analysis : x~2/df, GFI, CFI,RMSEA and NFI is respectively 4.68, 0.871, 0.862, 0.092and 0.934,which is supporting the theoretical structure of this scale. The test of thecriterion validity shows: the correlation coefficient between MIBS andSPB, DAS, ATQ is respectively 0.734, 0.624 and 0.576. The correlationcoefficient between MIBS and SCARED, DSRSC is respectively0.436** and 0.464**. The whole score of the irrational belief as well asthe score of the four factors and the average score of the items whichrefer to the anxiety or depression patient are higher than the commonlymiddle-school student group. The difference has distinstness(p＜0.01). (5)The mean and the standard deviation of the irrational belief, desire,sensation, thinking, coping perspective which concerns to the 1940 normsamples is respectively 61.56±19.12, 18.69±5.91, 14.10±6.36,13.03±5.55, 15.77±5.77.2. On the condition of that the pre-test result of the intervenient group and the control group has no significant difference. Afterintervention, compared with the pre-test result, the post-test result of theintervenient group's MIBS, CES-D, T-AL, CES and SCL-90 has somegeneral drop. Its T value is respectively -11.52, -2.30, -2.93, 3.48, -2.75.Compared with the pre-test, the change and variation significance of thepost-test of the solving problem, seek help, rationalization, illusion,avoidance, and self-condemn factor in coping mode is respectively 2.63,2.55, -3.72, -5.03, -1.68, -5.08. At the same time, the post-test and thepre-test of each numeircal value of the control group have no significantdifference.Conclusion:1. The MIBS meets with the requirement of psychometrics with thegood degree of discrimination. Its each index of reliability achieves thedemand of psychometrics. The validity is good and tally with the designplan. The content is accord with the irrational belief of Chinesemiddle-school students. It could be used as the tool to appraisal theirrational belief of the middle-school students.2. The effect of the intervention shows that carrying out theintervenient strategy of the irrational belief promote the intervenientsubject's irrational belief more reasonable. It could also prevent or playdawn the part of the anxiety or depression emotion. To enhance thefeeling of self-esteem, improve the condition of the mental health andrationalize the coping mode of the intervenient subject, it has positiveeffects. So, the intervenient strategy is scientific and available.