Role of magical thinking in obsessive-compulsive symptoms in an undergraduate sample.
Thought action fusion (TAF) is an important presenting feature of many individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). "Magical thinking" is a similar construct (developed within the literature on schizotypy) that may provide a more accurate depiction of difficulties encountered by individuals with OCD. This study seeks to examine relationships between components of magical thinking, TAF, and superstitiousness; establish the extent to which these constructs are independently related to OCD proneness; and establish the extent to which these biased reasoning styles are related to each of the major OCD symptom clusters (e.g., washing, checking). The Padua Inventory (PI), the Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), the Magical Ideation Scale (MI), the Lucky Behaviours (Lbeh) and Lucky Beliefs (Lbel) Scales, and the Thought Action Fusion-Revised scale (TAF-R) were given to a cohort of 86 undergraduate students. Of all the measures, the MI scale was found to be the most strongly related to obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Large and significant relationships between MI scores and the two measures of OCD (i.e., MOCI and PI) were obtained even when alternative mediators (i.e., Lbeh, Lbel, TAF-R) were held constant. No other variable remained significantly related to the MOCI or PI when magical ideation scores were held constant. The findings suggest that a general magical thinking tendency may underpin previous observed links between superstitiousness, thought action fusion, and OCD severity.
Einstein
Danielle A
DA
School of Behavioural and Community Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. Danielle_Einstein@telstra.com
Menzies
Ross G
RG
D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008273:Magic / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D013483:Superstitions; D013850:Thinking