An Evaluation of Obsessive Beliefs as Predictors of Performance on In Vivo Assessments of Obsessive–Compulsive Symptoms

Research on the contribution of obsessive beliefs to specific subtypes of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) has been limited
to the use of self-report measures. The current investigation used in vivo assessments of ordering and arranging, checking
urges, contamination avoidance, and hand-washing to evaluate the relationships between beliefs about perfectionism and intolerance
for uncertainty, responsibility and threat estimation, and importance and control of thoughts, as measured by the Obsessive
Beliefs Questionnaire-44, with symptoms of OCD. Through four separate studies (N = 566), we found that perfectionism and intolerance for uncertainty beliefs were uniquely predictive of performance on behavioral
tasks involving ordering and arranging, checking, and washing. Contrary to hypotheses, responsibility and threat beliefs were
not uniquely associated with any task performance variable, and no obsessive belief domain was predictive of contamination
behavioral approach. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.