Psychometric evaluation of the thought-action fusion scale in a large clinical sample

Abstract

This study examined the psychometric properties of the 19-item Thought-Action Fusion (TAF) Scale, a measure of maladaptive cognitive intrusions, in a large clinical sample (N = 700). An exploratory factor analysis (n = 300) yielded two interpretable factors: TAF Moral (TAF-M) and TAF Likelihood (TAF-L). A confirmatory bifactor analysis was conducted on the second portion of the sample (n = 400) to account for possible sources of item covariance using a general TAF factor (subsuming TAF-M) alongside the TAF-L domain-specific factor. The bifactor model provided an acceptable fit to the sample data. Results indicated that global TAF was more strongly associated with a measure of obsessive-compulsiveness than measures of general worry and depression, and the TAF-L dimension was more strongly related to obsessive-compulsiveness than depression. Overall, results support the bifactor structure of the TAF in a clinical sample and its close relationship to its neighboring obsessive-compulsiveness construct.

Keywords: bifactor analysis; obsessions; obsessive-compulsive disorder; psychometrics; thought–action fusion.

Figures

Figure 1

Bifactor measurement model of the TAFS. NoteTAFS = Thought–Action Fusion Scale; TAF-G = thought– action fusion general factor; TAF-L = thought–action fusion likelihood domain-specific factor. Completely standardized maximum likelihood parameter estimates. Squares denote TAFS Items 1 to 19. Circles denote TAFS factors. For purposes of clarity, the error covariances among five items have been omitted from the figure but are provided in the Results section. For all values, p < .001.