title: Predicting psychological symptoms: the role of perceived thought control ability.
abstract: The suppression of intrusive thoughts, which have been related significantly to depressive and anxious symptoms (Blumberg, 2000), has become an area of interest for those treating individuals with psychological disorders. The current study sought to extend the findings of Luciano, Algarabel, Tomas, and Martínez (2005), who developed the Thought Control Ability Questionnaire (TCAQ) and found that scores on this measure were predictive of psychopathology. In particular, this study examined the relationship between scores on the TCAQ and the Personality Assessment Inventory. Findings suggested that individuals' perceived thought control ability correlated significantly with several dimensions of commonly-occurring psychological symptoms (e.g. anxiety) and more severe and persistent psychological symptoms (e.g. schizophrenia). Regression analyses also showed that perceived thought control ability predicted significantly a range of psychological symptoms over and above individuals' sex and perceived stress. Findings suggested that thought control ability may be an important future research area in psychological assessment and intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Reesa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Donnelly
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Renk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001288:Attention; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D013850:Thinking; D055815:Young Adult