저널

Objectives : Cognitive fusion, or believability, in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), refers to the tendency to become entangled in one’s thoughts or feelings. It is an important factor in the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders. However, there is a lack of validated self-report measures for cognitive fusion and defusion, particularly for individuals with anxiety. To address this gap, this study aimed to evaluate the Korean Version of Believability of Anxious Feelings and Thoughts Questionnaire (K-BAFT).

Methods : A total of 608 university students and 85 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) took part in this study. They were asked to complete various psychological measures, including the K-BAFT, other measures of ACT processes, and symptom scales. The researchers then analyzed the psychometric characteristics of the K-BAFT.

Results : The results of the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the three-factor structure of the K-BAFT, which was reported in the original study, was also found in the university sample. Additionally, both the student and the OCD group demonstrated strong internal consistency (α=0.86 and 0.91, respectively). In the university sample, the K-BAFT showed a strong correlation with the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (rs=0.53, p＜0.001). However, it had a weak correlation with symptoms scales for depression, anxiety, and stress (all rs＜0.32). Furthermore, the OCD group had higher scores on the K-BAFT compared to the university sample.

Conclusions : K-BAFT is considered to be a reliable and valid self-report tool for measuring cognitive fusion with anxious thoughts and feelings. (Anxiety and Mood 2024;20(1):27-34)

Psychometric; Cognitive fusion; Measure; Acceptance-commitment therapy; Obsessive-compulsive disorder