Psychometric Properties of Shortened Versions of the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire

Measures of depression are increasingly being used as outcomes or predictors by organizational and consumer psychologists. One such measure is the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ). However, questions about the 30-item ATQ’s factor structure and its length for use in survey research remain. The authors offer 15-and 8-item shortened versions of the ATQ. Two samples ( n = 434 and n = 419) were used to derive the reduced versions. A single factor was found to underlie both reduced versions, with scores on this factor yielding strong estimates of internal consistency and nomological validity. Two more cross-validation samples ( n = 163 and n = 91) also showed support for the 15-and 8-item versions. Overall, results suggest that these reduced-item versions of the ATQ are useful alternatives to measuring cognitions associated with depression.