Shortened General Attitude and Belief Scale (SGABS)

Abstract

The Shortened General Attitude and Belief Scale (SGABS) is a brief, 26-item psychological scale developed by Lindner, Kirkby, Wertheim, and Birch (1999) to measure core dimensions of irrational thinking. Derived from the theoretical framework of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), the SGABS provides a quick assessment of individual differences in fundamental beliefs that contribute to emotional distress and maladaptive behavior. The scale specifically targets seven primary factors associated with rational and irrational attitudes, including achievement demands, approval needs, and frustration tolerance.

Keywords

Shortened General Attitude and Belief Scale, SGABS, Irrational beliefs, Rational thinking, REBT, Self-downing, Low frustration tolerance, Cognitive assessment.

Authors

Lindner, H., Kirkby, R., Wertheim, E., Birch, P.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Shortened General Attitude and Belief Scale (SGABS) is to provide researchers and clinicians with a concise and psychometrically sound instrument for assessing the core components of irrational beliefs, as conceptualized within the framework of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). By focusing on fundamental demands and catastrophic evaluations, the SGABS aims to quantify the degree to which an individual holds rigid, absolute beliefs about self, others, and the world.

This scale is particularly useful in clinical settings to identify specific cognitive distortions that may be targeted during cognitive therapy interventions. Its brevity (26 items) makes it suitable for repeated measures research or for use in large-scale studies where time constraints are a factor, while still retaining strong internal consistency across its subscales.

Construct

The SGABS measures attitudes and beliefs along seven primary dimensions, which collectively define an individual’s level of rational or irrational thinking. These dimensions are based on the core dysfunctional philosophies identified in REBT:

• Need for Achievement (or Demand for Success): Measures the belief that one absolutely must perform well at important tasks and that failure is catastrophic or unbearable.
• Need for Approval (or Demand for Acceptance): Measures the belief that one must be liked and accepted by significant others, and that rejection is awful or intolerable.
• Need for Comfort (or Low Frustration Tolerance): Measures the belief that one cannot stand discomfort, tension, or hassles in life, viewing them as unbearable catastrophes.
• Demand for Fairness: Measures the belief that other people must treat the individual fairly and considerately, and that unfairness demonstrates the worthlessness of the offender.
• Self-Downing: Measures the tendency to globally condemn oneself (assigning worthlessness) based on performance failures or perceived rejection.
• Other Downing: Measures the tendency to globally condemn others (assigning badness or worthlessness) when they behave inconsiderately or unfairly.
• Rationality: Measures adaptive, flexible beliefs that counteract the irrational demands, focusing on self-acceptance despite negative outcomes.

Validity

The SGABS was developed to maintain the theoretical structure and validity of its longer predecessor, the General Attitude and Belief Scale (GABS). Construct validity was initially established through factor analysis, confirming that the items load onto the hypothesized seven factors representing both rational and irrational thinking styles. The original authors demonstrated that the SGABS scores correlated appropriately with existing measures of irrationality and psychological distress, suggesting strong concurrent validity.

Furthermore, the inclusion of both irrational beliefs (e.g., Awfulizing, Demands) and rational beliefs (e.g., Self-Acceptance) within the scale enhances its ability to differentiate between adaptive and maladaptive cognitive styles, lending support to its theoretical foundation in REBT principles.

Reliability

The SGABS demonstrates generally high internal consistency across its subscales, supporting its reliability as a measure of cognitive styles. Reliability coefficients (Cronbach’s Alpha) reported in the foundational literature (Lindner et al., 1999) and subsequent studies confirm its utility:

• Lindner et al. (1999) Alpha Values:
• Achievement: 0.79
• Approval: 0.79
• Comfort: 0.80
• Fairness: 0.80
• Self-downing: 0.832
• Other downing: 0.83
• Rationality: 0.84
• Douglas (2015) Alpha Values (NURSERESEARCHER):
• Achievement: 0.877
• Approval: 0.714
• Comfort: 0.812
• Fairness: 0.720
• Self-downing: 0.832
• Other downing: 0.616
• Total irrationality: 0.846
• Rationality: 0.735

These figures indicate that most subscales exhibit good to excellent internal consistency (typically above 0.70), although the ‘Other Downing’ subscale showed slightly lower reliability in the 2015 study (0.616). The total irrationality score consistently demonstrates very high reliability, confirming its robustness as a measure of overall cognitive rigidity.

Factor Analysis

The SGABS is structured around a multi-factor model intended to capture the distinct components of irrational thinking proposed by REBT theory. Factor analytic studies, such as those conducted by Lindner et al. (1999), confirmed a structure that aligns with the seven theoretical subscales: Achievement, Approval, Comfort, Fairness, Self-downing, Other downing, and Rationality.

This factorial structure supports the use of the SGABS not only as a measure of global irrationality but also as a diagnostic tool capable of isolating specific areas of cognitive dysfunction. The original research demonstrated that the factors were sufficiently distinct yet correlated, reflecting the underlying unity of irrational beliefs.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Psychological scale

Format: 26 items scored on a 5-point Likert scale.

Language Available: Primarily English (Likely translated into others for specific research studies).

Population Group: Adolescents and Adults.

Age Group: Typically 16 years and older.

Population Details: Originally validated on university student samples and clinical populations. Used in studies involving adolescents (Mould, 2014) and adult professionals (Douglas, 2015).

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their agreement with each statement using the following scale: Strongly Disagree=1, Disagree=2, Neutral=3, Agree=4, Strongly Agree=5. Subscale scores and a total irrationality score are computed by summing or averaging relevant items, often requiring reverse scoring for the rational items.

Keywords

Cognitive distortions, Self-acceptance, Rational behavior, Psychometrics, Assessment tool, Low frustration tolerance, Emotional distress, REBT.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Not provided in source)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Not provided in source)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Not provided in source)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was formally published and validated in 1999. For clinical and research use, permissions should be sought from the primary authors or the journal publisher (Cognitive Therapy and Research). The instrument is often available for non-commercial academic use; however, licensing fees may apply for commercial applications.

The full instrument is available in various academic documents. The original PDF of the Attitudes and Beliefs Scale can be downloaded here: http://www.drwinogron.com/articles/DrWinogron_Attitudes_Beliefs%20Scale_Clinics.pdf. Further clinical context is available here: http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/643/1/Johnson10ClinPsyDVol1.pdf.

Reference’s

• Lindner, H., Kirkby, R., Wertheim, E., & Birch, P. (1999). A Brief Assessment of Irrational Thinking: The Shortened General Attitude and Belief Scale. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 23(6), 651-663.
• Douglas, M. (2015). NURSERESEARCHER volume 10 number 4 (Referencing psychometric data for SGABS).
• Mould, J. (2014). A programme to promote internal resiliency among female adolescents: A cognitive-behavioural approach University of the Free State. Doctoral dissertation. The PDF can be downloaded here: http://etd.uovs.ac.za/ETD-db//theses/available/etd-08072014-121128/unrestricted/MouldJ.pdf

Items of the Shortened General Attitude and Belief Scale (SGABS)

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

1. It’s unbearable to fail at important things and I can’t stand not succeeding at them.
2. I can’t stand a lack of consideration from other people and I can’t bear the possibility of their unfairness.
3. It’s unbearable being uncomfortable‚ tense or nervous and I can’t stand it when I am.
4. I have worth as a person even if I do not perform well at tasks that are important to me.
5. I can’t stand being tense or nervous and I think tension is unbearable.
6. It’s awful to be disliked by people who are important to me and it is a catastrophe if they don’t like me.
7. If important people dislike me it is because I am an unlikable bad person.
8. When I am treated inconsiderately I think it shows what kind of bad and hopeless people there are in the world.
9. If I am rejected by someone I like‚ I can accept myself and still recognise my worth as a human being.
10. If I do not perform well at tasks that are important to me it is because I am a worthless bad person
11. It’s awful to do poorly at some important things and I think it is a catastrophe if I do poorly.
12. I think it is terribly bad when people treat me with disrespect.
13. When people I like reject me or dislike me it is because I am a bad or worthless person.
14. I cannot stand being treated unfairly and I think unfairness is unbearable.
15. I believe that if a person treats me very unfairly they are bad and worthless.
16. I can’t stand hassles in my life.
17. It’s awful to have hassles in one’s life and it is a catastrophe to be hassled.
18. I cannot tolerate not doing well at important tasks and it is unbearable to fail.
19. It is important that people treat me fairly most of the time‚ however‚ I realise I do not have to be treated fairly just because I want to be.
20. If I do not perform well at things which are important it will be a catastrophe.
21. It is unbearable to not have respect from people and I can’t stand their disrespect.
22. If important people dislike me‚ it goes to show what a worthless person I am.
23. I must be liked and accepted by people I want to like me and I will not accept their not liking me.
24. I want to be liked and accepted by people whom I like‚ but I realise they don’t have to like me just because I want them to.
25. When people who I want to like me disapprove or me or reject me‚ I can’t bear their disliking me.
26. If people treat me without respect‚ it goes to show how bad they really are.