A Brief Intervention on Thought-Action-Fusion
Mentor 1
Dr. Hanjoo Lee
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
24-4-2015 10:30 AM
End Date
24-4-2015 11:45 AM
Description
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by recurrent, upsetting, and intrusive obsessions and/or compulsions (DSM-5, 2013). Obsessions are often caused by Thought-Action-Fusion (TAF), which is the belief that having a random, strange thought is as significant as carrying out the act. Those who experience TAF think that simply having a thought increases the chance of an event occurring or represents a person’s morality. Exposure to disconfirming information about these thoughts through Interpretation Training (IT) modifies a person’s negative interpretations about personal emotional information and lessens distress associated with it. There is evidence that even a single “anti-TAF” message helps reduce TAF scores, thus it is important to test if a TAF specific IT can reduce TAF strength and the distress associated with obsessive thoughts. The current study examined whether one session of computerized IT can impact TAF and potential distress. The study recruited undergraduates (N=39) who reported varying levels of TAF, as rated by the Thought-Action Fusion Scale-Revised (TAFS). Participants were randomized to either: (a) Active TAF IT (TAFMOD) that is designed to weaken the importance of TAF thoughts or (b) Control/Maintenance TAF IT (TAFMAN) that does not challenge TAF thoughts. The primary outcome measures were the TAFS and a modified version of the Revised Obsessional Intrusions Inventory called the ROII-Distress, which demonstrated very high internal consistency (α=.99). Results revealed that TAFMOD exhibited TAFS score reductions (M = 20.83, SD = 18.47) of around 29 percent, whereas TAFMAN retained pretraining TAFS scores (M = 29.67, SD = 15.27). The interaction of group (TAFMOD vs TAFMAN) and TAFS reduction achieved during IT was significant (F(1,37) = 11.04, p = .02). ROII-Distress reductions were seen for TAFMOD (M = 153.33, SD = 79.08), whereas TAFMAN generally maintained ROII-Scores scores (M = 185.87, SD = 88.17). The interaction of group (TAFMOD vs TAFMAN) and ROII-Distress reduction achieved during IT was significant (F(1,33) = 4.70, p = .037). The correlation of TAFS and ROII-Distress scores was small and non-significant (r = .249, p = .149). Important implications are: (1) TAF is a modifiable cognitive process, (2) one session of IT for TAF is effective in modifying TAFS and DASS-Distress scores, (3) further research is warranted to examine the long-term training effects of TAFMOD, and if reductions in TAF lead to reductions in OCD symptoms.
A Brief Intervention on Thought-Action-Fusion
Union Wisconsin Room
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by recurrent, upsetting, and intrusive obsessions and/or compulsions (DSM-5, 2013). Obsessions are often caused by Thought-Action-Fusion (TAF), which is the belief that having a random, strange thought is as significant as carrying out the act. Those who experience TAF think that simply having a thought increases the chance of an event occurring or represents a person’s morality. Exposure to disconfirming information about these thoughts through Interpretation Training (IT) modifies a person’s negative interpretations about personal emotional information and lessens distress associated with it. There is evidence that even a single “anti-TAF” message helps reduce TAF scores, thus it is important to test if a TAF specific IT can reduce TAF strength and the distress associated with obsessive thoughts. The current study examined whether one session of computerized IT can impact TAF and potential distress. The study recruited undergraduates (N=39) who reported varying levels of TAF, as rated by the Thought-Action Fusion Scale-Revised (TAFS). Participants were randomized to either: (a) Active TAF IT (TAFMOD) that is designed to weaken the importance of TAF thoughts or (b) Control/Maintenance TAF IT (TAFMAN) that does not challenge TAF thoughts. The primary outcome measures were the TAFS and a modified version of the Revised Obsessional Intrusions Inventory called the ROII-Distress, which demonstrated very high internal consistency (α=.99). Results revealed that TAFMOD exhibited TAFS score reductions (M = 20.83, SD = 18.47) of around 29 percent, whereas TAFMAN retained pretraining TAFS scores (M = 29.67, SD = 15.27). The interaction of group (TAFMOD vs TAFMAN) and TAFS reduction achieved during IT was significant (F(1,37) = 11.04, p = .02). ROII-Distress reductions were seen for TAFMOD (M = 153.33, SD = 79.08), whereas TAFMAN generally maintained ROII-Scores scores (M = 185.87, SD = 88.17). The interaction of group (TAFMOD vs TAFMAN) and ROII-Distress reduction achieved during IT was significant (F(1,33) = 4.70, p = .037). The correlation of TAFS and ROII-Distress scores was small and non-significant (r = .249, p = .149). Important implications are: (1) TAF is a modifiable cognitive process, (2) one session of IT for TAF is effective in modifying TAFS and DASS-Distress scores, (3) further research is warranted to examine the long-term training effects of TAFMOD, and if reductions in TAF lead to reductions in OCD symptoms.
