A Reliability Generalization Meta-analysis of the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale

• Published in: Psicothema Vol. 33; no. 3; pp. 481 - 489
• Main Authors: Lopez-Nicolas, Ruben, Rubio-Aparicio, Maria, Lopez-Ibanez, Carmen, Sanchez-Meca, Julio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oviedo Colegio Oficial De Psicologos Del Principado De Asturias 01.07.2021; Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos (PSICODOC)
• Subjects: Meta-analysis; España
• ISSN: 0214-9915; 1886-144X
• DOI: 10.7334/psicothema2020.455

Background: The Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) is a well-established tool for assessing obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. A reliability generalization meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the average reliability of DOCS scores and how reliability estimates vary according to the composition and variability of samples, to identify study characteristics that can explain its variability, and to estimate the reliability induction rate. Method: A literature search produced 86 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Results: For the DOCS total scores, an average alpha coefficient of .925 was found (95% CI [.920,.931]), as well as mean alphas of .881, .905, .913, and .914 for Contamination, Responsibility, Unacceptable Thoughts, and Symmetry subscales, respectively. Moderator analysis showed that internal consistency fell significantly the more clinical and subclinical participants there were in the sample, and the larger the mean score in the sample for the total scores. The most important moderator variables for the subscales were the standard deviation and the mean of the scores. Conclusions: The DOCS scores exhibited excellent internal consistency reliability for both total score and subscale scores and DOCS is suitable both for research and clinical purposes. Keywords: Meta-analysis; reliability generalization; obsessive-compulsive disorder; Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale; Cronbach's alpha coefficient; test-retest. Meta-analisis de Generalizacion de la Fiabilidad de la Dimensional Obssesive-Compulsive Scale. Antecedentes: la Dimensional ObsessiveCompulsive Scale (DOCS) (Abramowitz, 2010) es un instrumento para la evaluacion del TOC. En este estudio se llevo a cabo un estudio de generalizacion de la fiabilidad de la DOCS para estimar un coeficiente alfa medio y analizar la heterogeneidad de estos y el influjo de distintas variables moderadores. Metodo: se realizo una busqueda bibliografica de 86 estudios incluibles. Resultados: para la escala total, se estimo un coeficiente alfa medio de .925, asi como para sus subescalas: Contaminacion .881, Responsabilidad con respecto al dano .905, Pensamientos inaceptables .913 y Simetria .913. Los analisis de moderadores revelaron que la consistencia interna disminuyo significativamente a mayor porcentaje de participantes clinicos o subclinicos en la muestra, asi como a mayor puntuacion media de la muestra para las puntuaciones totales; para las subescalas la desviacion tipica y la media de las puntuaciones fueron los moderadores mas relevantes. Conclusiones: las puntuaciones de la DOCS muestran una excelente fiabilidad por consistencia interna, tanto para la escala global como para las subescalas, pudiendo usarse tanto para fines clinicos como de investigacion. Palabras clave: meta-analisis; generalizacion de la fiabilidad; trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo; Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale; alfa de Cronbach; test-retest.