Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ-B)

Abstract

The Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ), developed by Philip C. Kendall and Steven D. Hollon, is a widely recognized 30-item psychometric instrument designed to measure the frequency and intensity of automatic negative statements about the self. These self-statements are central to cognitive models of psychopathology, particularly depression. The revised version, ATQ-B, further assesses the degree of belief associated with these negative thoughts, providing a more nuanced understanding of cognitive distortion patterns relevant to clinical assessment and treatment planning.

Keywords

Automatic thoughts, negative self-statements, depression, cognitive assessment, psychometric scale, psychological measurement, cognitive behavioral therapy, Beck Depression Inventory, ATQ-B.

Authors

Philip C. Kendall, Steven D. Hollon

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ) is to quantify the prevalence of specific negative self-referential cognitions. The scale was developed to operationalize the core concepts of cognitive theory, which posits that negative automatic thoughts contribute significantly to the onset, severity, and maintenance of various forms of psychopathology, especially mood disorders.

The ATQ serves as a critical tool for researchers and clinicians by allowing them to objectively track changes in cognitive patterns following therapeutic interventions, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The dual scoring system utilized in the ATQ-B—measuring both frequency and degree of belief—enhances its utility in assessing the rigidity and impact of these maladaptive thought processes.

Construct

The ATQ specifically measures the construct of automatic negative self-statements. These are rapid, involuntary, and often distorted thoughts that occur in response to specific situations, typically focusing on themes of failure, worthlessness, or hopelessness. The scale is grounded in the cognitive model, which suggests that affective disorders like depression are characterized by a negative cognitive triad concerning the self, the world, and the future.

The 30 items of the ATQ are empirically derived and cluster into four distinct, yet related, dimensions of negative automatic thought content:

• Personal Maladjustment and Desire for Change (PMDC): Reflects dissatisfaction with personal functioning and a wish for improvement (e.g., “I wish I were a better person”).
• Negative Self-Concepts and Negative Expectations (NSNE): Focuses on generalized feelings of inadequacy and pessimism regarding future outcomes (e.g., “I’m no good,” “I’ll never make it”).
• Low Self-Esteem (LSE): Encompasses severe self-deprecating thoughts and self-hatred (e.g., “I hate myself,” “I’m worthless”).
• Helplessness: Measures feelings of inability to cope or complete tasks (e.g., “It’s just not worth it,” “I can’t finish anything”).

Validity

The ATQ demonstrates strong psychometric properties, particularly in clinical populations. Evidence for its validity includes its robust ability to discriminate between clinically depressed subjects and non-depressed control subjects, confirming its utility as a diagnostic and severity measure for depressive symptoms.

Furthermore, the scale exhibits good concurrent validity, showing significant correlations with established measures of depression severity. Specifically, the total ATQ score correlates highly with both the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Depression scale derived from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), suggesting that the ATQ effectively taps into the same underlying depressive construct as these standard instruments.

Reliability

The reliability of the ATQ is considered excellent. The original standardization studies reported a high degree of internal consistency, evidenced by a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of .97. This exceptionally high coefficient indicates that the 30 items within the scale are highly homogeneous and measure a single, unified construct (negative automatic thoughts) with great precision.

Factor Analysis

Factor analytic studies support the multidimensional structure of the ATQ. The scale is designed to measure four primary factors of automatic negative thoughts. These factors, derived through analysis of item clusters, confirm the theoretical division of automatic thoughts into specific domains:

1. Personal Maladjustment and Desire for Change (PMDC) (Items 7, 10, 14, 20, 26)
2. Negative Self-Concepts and Negative Expectations (NSNE) (Items 2, 3, 9, 21, 23, 24, 28)
3. Low Self-Esteem (LSE) (Items 17, 18)
4. Helplessness (Items 29, 30)

This factor structure provides crucial support for the scale’s construct validity, allowing researchers to analyze not only the overall frequency of negative thoughts but also the specific thematic content driving a person’s cognitive distortion.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Cognitive Assessment Scale

Format: 30 items, Likert-type scale response

Language Available: Primarily English; translations exist in several other languages for clinical and research use.

Population Group: Clinical and Non-Clinical populations

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults

Population Details: Originally validated primarily on university students and clinical samples diagnosed with depression.

Test Methodology: The ATQ-B methodology requires respondents to rate each item on two separate dimensions: (1) Frequency of occurrence (using a 5-point scale from “not at all” to “all the time”); and (2) Degree of belief in the statement when it occurs (using a 5-point scale from “not at all” to “totally”). Total scores are calculated by summing the scores for all 30 items for each dimension independently. High total scores indicate greater frequency and/or greater believability in negative automatic self-statements.

Keywords

Psychological assessment, cognitive bias, self-statements, maladaptive cognition, BDI, MMPI, psychometrics, internal consistency, psychopathology.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in source content.

Correspondence Address: Not specified in source content.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The original ATQ was developed and published in 1980. Information regarding current usage permissions and associated fees must be obtained directly from the authors (Philip C. Kendall or Steven D. Hollon) or the publisher of the journal Cognitive Therapy and Research, as psychometric instruments often require permission for clinical or large-scale research application.

Reference’s

• Hollon, S. D. & Kendall, P. C. (1980). Cognitive self-statements in depression: Development of an Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 4, 383 – 395.

Items of the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ-B)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Listed below are a variety of thoughts that pop into people’s heads. Please read each thought and indicate how frequently, if at all, the thought occurred to you over the last week. Please read each item carefully and circle the appropriate answers on the answer sheet in the following fashion (1 = “not at all”, 2 = “sometimes”, 3 = “moderately often”, 4 = “often”, and 5 = “all the time”).

Then, please indicate how strongly, if at all, you tend to believe that thought, when it occurs. Note that frequency and degree of belief do not need to be the same. On the right hand side of the page, circle the appropriate answers in the following fashion (1 = “not at all”, 2 = “somewhat”, 3 = “moderately “, 4 = “very much”, and 5 = “totally).

Frequency Items Degree of Belief

1 2 3 4 5 1) I feel like I’m up against the world 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 2) I’m no good. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 3) Why can’t I ever succeed? 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 4) No one understands me. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 5) I’ve let people down. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 6) I don’t think I can go on. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 7) I wish I were a better person 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 8) I’m so weak. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 9) My life’s not going the way I want it to. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 10) I’m so disappointed in myself. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 11) Nothing feels good anymore. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 12) I can’t stand this anymore. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 13) I can’t get started. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 14) What’s wrong with me? 1 2 3 4 5

FREQUENCY:

1 = “not at all”, 2 = “sometimes”, 3 = “moderately often”, 4 = “often”, and 5 = “all the time”

DEGREE OF BELIEF:

1 = “not at all”, 2 = “somewhat”, 3 = “moderately “, 4 = “very much”, and 5 = “totally”

Frequency Items Degree of Belief

1 2 3 4 5 15) I wish I were somewhere else 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 16) I can’t get things together. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 17) I hate myself. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 18) I’m worthless. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 19) Wish I could just disappear. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 20) What’s the matter with me? 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 21) I’m a loser. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 22) My life is a mess. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 23) I’m a failure. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 24) I’ll never make it. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 25) I feel so helpless. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 26) Something has to change 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 27) There must be something wrong with me. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 28) My future is bleak. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 29) It’s just not worth it. 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 30) I can’t finish anything. 1 2 3 4 5