Thought-action fusion and inflated responsibility in psychopathology

The aim of the current research was to investigate the presence and roles of inflated responsibility and thought-action fusion in psychopathology. The three underlying research themes were to examine the relationship between thought-action fusion and inflated responsibility, the roles that they play in psychopathology, and the possible etiology of these types of beliefs. It is proposed that these responsibility beliefs are not specific to obsessive compulsive disorder, as commonly assumed, and that they play important roles in the maintenance of a range of psychological symptoms. This thesis presents the results of four studies. The first study was designed to investigate the presence of Thought-Action Fusion (TAF) and Inflated Responsibility (IR) alongside symptoms of depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, with thought suppression playing an intermediary role. Study 2 examined the interaction between responsibility beliefs and locus of control on obsessive-compulsive symptoms with non-clinical and clinical participants. The third study focussed on the etiology of responsibility beliefs, taking Salkovskis, Shafran, Rachman, and Freeston’s (1999) theory of Pathways to Inflated Responsibility and empirically testing this with both clinical and non-clinical samples. Study 4 focussed on the relationship between responsibility beliefs and religiosity, using participants of Protestant Christian beliefs and Atheists. These studies collectively show that Thought-Action Fusion and Inflated Responsibility are both important and contributing factors in psychopathology, especially playing a part in the maintenance of symptoms and feelings of distress. Results indicated that while TAF tends to be specific to obsessive compulsive symptoms, IR is more of a general cognitive bias. Results also indicate that critical experiences in one’s life can lead to biases in responsibility beliefs. Additionally, results show that these biases are not always indicative of psychopathology when they are acceptable within a particular set of morals, for example religion. These findings are of both theoretical and clinical significance because they add to the growing understanding of TAF and IR in psychopathology. The current research was conducted with observational, self-report measures; further research using longitudinal studies is needed for more clarity on causality.