Introduction
OCD, Obsessive-compulive disorder is a fairly common mental disorder affecting between and 1 and 2% of the population (see for US or UK).
Self-report questionnaires can help to check how many symptoms people have. One of such self-report questionniares is the Obsessive–Compulsive Inventory (Fao et al., 2002). Note that there are a number of such lists you can find on the internet.
The OCI-R is a shorter version than the OCI (Fao et al., 1998). Even though the OCI-R has only 18 items, the paper states that "The OCI–R retains many of the qualities of the OCI. It was found to have good to excellent internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and convergent validity."
Each item is scored on a 5-point scale (0-4 points), and the total score is the sum of the scores on all items. According to the authors, people with OCD typically have a score of 21 points and higher.
| The PsyToolkit implementation does not report the subscales Washing, Checking, Ordering, Obsessing, Hoarding, and Neutralizing. According to the study (Fao, 2002), not all subscales adequately differentiated people with OCD from non-patients (i.e., the Hoarding and Ordering subscales). If you want to use the subscales, you need to think carefully about these issues and check the paepr. |
| The paper by Fao and colleagues (2002) is a brilliant example of test development. It is a highly recommended read for psychology students. |
Run the demo
Legal stuff
The survey can be used for research. You need to make sure you respect the copyright note in the paper, and acknowledge the authors and 2002 paper of Fao and colleagues (see reference below).
Technically
This is a very straightforward survey. All items are positively scored.
The survey code for PsyToolkit
scale: howmuch
- {score=0} Not at all
- {score=1} A little
- {score=2} Moderately
- {score=3} A lot
- {score=4} Extremely
l: oci
t: scale howmuch
q: The following statements refer to experiences that many people have in their everyday lives.<br>
Select the option that best describes<br><b>HOW MUCH that experience has DISTRESSED or BOTHERED you
during the PAST MONTH.</b><br>
- I have saved up so many things that they get in the way.
- I check things more often than necessary.
- I get upset if objects are not arranged properly.
- I feel compelled to count while I am doing things.
- I find it difficult to touch an object when I know it has been touched by strangers or certain people.
- I find it difficult to control my own thoughts.
- I collect things I don’t need.
- I repeatedly check doors, windows, drawers, etc.
- I get upset if others change the way I have arranged things.
- I feel I have to repeat certain numbers.
- I sometimes have to wash or clean myself simply because I feel contaminated.
- I am upset by unpleasant thoughts that come into my mind against my will.
- I avoid throwing things away because I am afraid I might need them later.
- I repeatedly check gas and water taps and light switches after turning them off.
- I need things to be arranged in a particular way.
- I feel that there are good and bad numbers.
- I wash my hands more often and longer than necessary.
- I frequently get nasty thoughts and have difficulty in getting rid of them
l: oci_score
t: set
- sum $oci
l: feedback
t: info
q: Your score on the Obsessiveness self-report scale is {$oci_score} points.<br>
The total range on the score lies between 0 and 72 points.<br>
According to the study of Foa and colleagues (Psychological Assessment, 2002),<br>
scores of 21 and higher might indicate obsessive compulsiveness.<br>
Note that this test should not be taken as a replacement of professional advice.<br>
In case of any concern, please see your health care specialist.<br>
References
-
Foa, E.B., Huppert, J.D., Leiberg, S. Langner, R., Kichic, R., Hajcak, G., and Salkovskis, P.M. (2002). The obsessive–compulsive inventory: Development and validation of a short version. Psychological Assessment, 14, 485-496.
-
Foa, E.B., Kozak, M.J., Salkovskis, P., Coles, M.E., & Amir, N. (1998). The validation of a new obsessive– compulsive disorder scale: The Obsessive–Compulsive Inventory. Psychological Assessment, 10, 206-214.