An empirical test of the metacognitive model of obsessive-compulsive symptoms: Replication and extension

The aim of the current study was to further investigate the role of metacognitive beliefs implicated in Wells’ (1997) model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The metacognitive domains of thought-fusion beliefs and beliefs about rituals were positively correlated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms in a community control sample (N = 269) and in an OCD sample (N = 57). The OCD sample had significantly more obsessive-compulsive symptoms as well as higher scores on the metacognitive constructs than the control sample. In order to perform a more stringent test of the metacognitive model of OCD and to explore the role of a third metacognitive construct, that of stop signals, a second study was conducted using a community control sample (N = 304). All three metacognitive constructs were positively correlated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Thought-fusion beliefs and beliefs about rituals predicted obsessive-compulsive symptoms, even when controlling for worry, threat, and non-metacognitive beliefs such as perfectionism/certainty and responsibility. Results of this study provide further evidence for the importance of metacognitions in OCD.