Psychometric Properties of the Dutch Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire

• Main Authors: Elien Vanderveren, Elise Debeer, Miet Craeynest, Dirk Hermans, Filip Raes
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ubiquity Press 2020-07-01
• Series: Psychologica Belgica
• Subjects: cognitive avoidance; cognitive avoidance questionnaire; psychometric evaluation; brooding
• Online Access: https://www.psychologicabelgica.com/articles/522

Various psychological disorders, such as major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders, share cognitive avoidance as one of the main mechanisms underlying symptom severity and maintenance. A valid and reliable measure that covers a broad array of cognitive avoidance strategies is therefore instrumental, though currently greedily missing. The Questionnaire d’Évitement Cognitif (QEC) was developed as a comprehensive instrument measuring five cognitive avoidance strategies. The current study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Dutch Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire (CAQ-NL) in three samples ('N' sample 1 = 607; 'N' sample 2 = 357; 'N' sample 3 = 448). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the hypothesized five-factor structure of the CAQ-NL. Reliability analysis showed good to excellent internal consistency for the CAQ-NL and its five subscales. Furthermore, Multi-Group CFA revealed that the CAQ-NL demonstrated configural and metric invariance across the three samples. Convergent validity of the CAQ-NL was supported by substantial correlations with brooding, with more cognitive avoidance being related to more brooding. In addition, cognitive avoidance was negatively associated with psychological well-being and positively with symptoms of depression and anxiety, which corroborates the instrument’s concurrent validity. Moreover, the CAQ-NL was predictive of depressive symptoms six months later, supporting its predictive validity. In sum, results of the present study provide support for the validity and reliability of the CAQ-NL.