The Beliefs about Voices Questionnaire - Revised: A factor structure from 450 participants

Clara Strauss; Kenneth Hugdahl; Flavie Waters; Mark Hayward; Josef J Bless; Liv E Falkenberg; Bodil Kråkvik; Arve Egil Asbjørnsen; Erik Johnsen; Igne Sinkeviciute; Rune A Kroken; Else-Marie Løberg; Neil Thomas

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.09.089

The Beliefs about Voices Questionnaire - Revised: A factor structure from 450 participants

Psychiatry Res. 2018 Jan:259:95-103. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.09.089. Epub 2017 Oct 5.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QH, UK; Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Hove, UK. Electronic address: c.y.strauss@sussex.ac.uk.
² Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway; Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; NORMENT Center of Excellence, University of Oslo, Norway.
³ Clinical Research Centre, North Metro Health Service, Graylands Hospital, Perth, Australia; School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Australia.
⁴ School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QH, UK; Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Hove, UK.
⁵ Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway; NORMENT Center of Excellence, University of Oslo, Norway.
⁶ Nidaros District Psychiatric Center, Department of Research and Development, St. Olavs University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
⁷ Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway.
⁸ Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; NORMENT Center of Excellence, University of Oslo, Norway; Department of Clinical Medicine (K1), University of Bergen, Norway.
⁹ Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; NORMENT Center of Excellence, University of Oslo, Norway; Centre for Research and Education in Forensic Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
¹⁰ Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; NORMENT Center of Excellence, University of Oslo, Norway; Department of Clinical Medicine (K1), University of Bergen, Norway; Department of Addiction Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway.
¹¹ Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia; Voices Clinic, Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Alfred Hospital and Monash University Central Clinical School, Melbourne, Australia.

Abstract

Hallucinated voices are common across psychiatric and non-clinical groups. The predominant cognitive theory about the impact of voices posits that beliefs about voice power ('Omnipotence') and voice intent ('Malevolence'/'Benevolence') play a key role in determining emotional and behavioral reactions. The revised Beliefs about Voices Questionnaire (BAVQ-R) was designed to assess these constructs, together with two styles of responding (Engagement and Resistance). The BAVQ-R is widely used in clinical and research settings, yet it has not received validation of its constructs and factor structure. This study examined the factor structure of the BAVQ-R by combining datasets from five study centers, comprising 450 participants (belief constructs) and 269 participants (response styles), and using confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis. Findings failed to support a three factor belief model, instead showing a two-factor structure ('Persecutory beliefs' combining Omnipotence and Malevolence constructs, and a Benevolent construct). Emotional and behavioral items did not separate. Overall, results showed that (i) a two-factor model of beliefs (Persecutory and Benevolent beliefs) provides a better fit to the data than a three-factor model, and (ii) emotional and behavioral modes of responding items should not be separated. Theoretical implications of this finding are discussed in relation to the research and therapy.

Keywords: BAVQ; Beliefs about voices; Hallucinations; Hearing voices; Malevolence; Omnipotence.

Publication types

Multicenter Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Culture*
Databases, Factual / statistics & numerical data
Female
Hallucinations / diagnosis
Hallucinations / psychology*
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Principal Component Analysis* / methods
Surveys and Questionnaires*
Voice*