Development of a new measure for assessing insight: Psychometric properties of the insight orientation scale (IOS).
BACKGROUND
Given the centrality of insight in promoting change, the relevance of measures for assessing this construct has become increasingly clear. This paper describes a new self-report measure for assessing some of the characteristics of insight, the insight orientation scale (IOS).


OBJECTIVE
In study 1, we evaluated the factor structure and the reliability of the scale. In study 2, we analyzed the concurrent and discriminant validity of the scale in patients with different clinical diagnoses.


METHODS
In study 1 participants were 600 individuals (41.1% male, 58.9% female) with a mean age of 33.95 years (SD = 13.04). In study 2 participants were 136 individuals divided into the following groups: 1) schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders (n = 26); 2) substance-related disorders (n = 55); 3) depressive disorders (n = 27); and 4) personality disorders (n = 28).


METHODS
Instruments are the insight orientation scale (IOS) and the Beck cognitive insight scale.


RESULTS
The goodness-of-fit indices showed a satisfactory fit of a one factor model. We found also a good internal consistency (α = .77).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings support the dimensionality of the IOS and suggest that it may be useful as an assessment tool for use in guiding psychotherapy.
Department of Sciences of Education and Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Department of Human Sciences, LUMSA, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: gori.alessio@gmail.com.
Alessio
A
Gori
University of Enna "Kore", Italy.
Giuseppe
G
Craparo
Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Marco
M
Giannini
Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Yura
Y
Loscalzo
Department of Human Sciences, LUMSA, Rome, Italy.
Vincenzo
V
Caretti
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
Daniele
D
La Barbera
eCampus University, Faculty of Psychology, Italy.
Gian Mauro
GM
Manzoni
Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy.
Gianluca
G
Castelnuovo
Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Franca
F
Tani
Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Lucia
L
Ponti
Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Daniel
D
Dewey
Department of Psychology, University of Montana, Missoula, USA.
David
D
Schuldberg
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003071:Cognition; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia; D057566:Self Report; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
Assessment; Diagnosis; Insight; Psychotherapy