Davos Assessment Of Cognitive Biases Scale:Reliability And Validity Tests Ang Application

Background:Cognitive biases are tendencies to think in certain ways, they may lead to the systematic deviations from a standard of rationality or good judgment, and are often studied in psychology and behavioral economics. Cognitive biases have an important influence on people’s lives, and also some of them play an important role in the development and continuation of psychosis. Studying the Cognitive biases of patients with mental disorders may provide some references for the cognitive behavioral therapy of mental disease patients.So far, there have been few instruments for investigating the cognitive biases of psychosis in our country, therefore this study may have important clinical implications for investigating the cognitive biases in Chinese with psychotic illness.Objective:This study intends to import the Davos Assessment of Cognitive Biases Scale (DACOBS) and evaluate the reliability and validity of it, and to develop an instrument of measuring the cognitive biases in psychosis in China. The study also aims to make a reference to the cognitive behavior therapy via assessment of the cognitive biases in psychosis and explore the changes of cognitive biases after the therapy. Methods:Authorized by the original author, the English version of DACOBS was translated into Chinese.120nonclinical individuals and102schizophrenia patients completed DACOBS. In addition, some of the schizophrenia patients completed the Cognitive Bias Questionnaire (CBQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Peters et al. Delusions Inventory (PDI) and Psychotic Symptoms Rating Scale (PSYRATS). Psychometric properties (various types of reliability and validity) were assessed for this questionnaire. Besides the scale was also used before and after the group cognitive behavior to make a reference to the therapy and explore the changes of cognitive biases in patients after treatment.Results:Item analysis and Exploratory factor analysis extracted7components, and54.04%of variance was explained. Factor loading for all items of DACOBS ranged from0.41to0.77. The DACOBS-C was found to have good internal consistency and split half reliability as a scale which were0.92and0.90. The total score of DACOBS was significantly correlated with CBQ、BDI、PDI and PSYRATS(P<0.05). The patients had higher total score of DACOBS than controls (P<0.05). Meanwhile the patients after the cognitive behavior therapy had lower scores of PANSS. DACOBS (jumping to conclusions and safety behavior) than before significantly(P<0.05).Conclusion:he DACOBS has good psychometric properties with adequate reliability and validity, and can be applied to assess the cognitive biases of psychosis in China. The study found that the psychiatric symptoms of patients after the cognitive behavior therapy had been improved than before significantly, and the scores of DACOBS (jumping to conclusions and safety behavior) were also lower than before significantly.