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How I Think Questionnaire
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About How I Think Questionnaire
Scale Name
How I Think Questionnaire
Author Details
John C. Gibbs, Alvaro Q. Barriga, and Granville Bud Potter
Translation Availability
English
Background/Description
The How I Think (HIT) Questionnaire, developed by John C. Gibbs, Alvaro Q. Barriga, and Granville Bud Potter in 1992, is a self-report questionnaire designed to measure cognitive distortions in adolescents with respect to the social world. Published in Aggression and Violent Behavior (Barriga & Gibbs, 1996), the HIT assesses distorted thinking patterns that contribute to antisocial behavior, such as delinquency or aggression, based on Gibbs’ sociomoral reasoning framework and Sykes and Matza’s (1957) neutralization theory. It targets a variety of age groups (typically 12-18) and children from diverse ethnic/racial backgrounds, making it versatile for use in clinical, educational, and correctional settings.
The HIT comprises 54 items, including 39 distortion items, 8 positive filler items, and 7 anomalous responding items, rated on a 6-point Likert scale (1 = “strongly disagree” to 6 = “strongly agree”). The distortion items are organized into four cognitive distortion categories (Self-Centered, Blaming Others, Minimizing/Mislabeling, Assuming the Worst) and four behavioral referent categories (Opposition-Defiance, Physical Aggression, Lying, Stealing). Example items include “If I want something, it’s okay to take it” (Self-Centered) or “People force me to fight” (Blaming Others). Scores are averaged across subscales or overall, with higher scores indicating greater cognitive distortions. Validated in diverse samples, including juvenile offenders and community youth, the HIT is used to assess risk for antisocial behavior and evaluate interventions like the EQUIP program (Gibbs et al., 1995).
Psychologists, clinicians, and educators use the HIT to identify cognitive distortions, inform cognitive-behavioral interventions, and study the link between distorted thinking and behavior. Its high internal consistency and broad applicability are strengths, though its English-only primary use and reliance on self-reports may limit accessibility in some contexts.
Administration, Scoring and Interpretation
- Obtain a copy of the HIT Questionnaire from primary sources, such as Barriga and Gibbs (1996) in Aggression and Violent Behavior or the EQUIP program manual (Gibbs et al., 1995), ensuring ethical use permissions.
- Explain the purpose to respondents, noting that it assesses their thoughts about social situations to support personal growth, emphasizing confidentiality and using age-appropriate language.
- Provide instructions, asking respondents to rate each of the 54 items based on how much they agree with the statements, using the 6-point scale. Clarify that there are no right or wrong answers.
- Approximate time for completion is 10-15 minutes, depending on reading ability and age.
- Administer in a classroom, clinical, or correctional setting, using paper or digital formats, ensuring a private environment to promote honest responses. Oral administration may be used for younger respondents or those with reading difficulties.
Reliability and Validity
The HIT Questionnaire demonstrates excellent psychometric properties, as reported by Barriga and Gibbs (1996). Internal consistency is very high, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.96 for the total scale, and subscale alphas ranging from 0.80 to 0.92, indicating strong item cohesion across diverse samples. Test-retest reliability is not explicitly reported, but stability is inferred to be high based on similar cognitive distortion measures (e.g., r ≈ 0.70-0.85 over weeks).
Convergent validity is supported by correlations with related constructs, such as self-reported delinquency (r ≈ 0.40-0.60), aggression, and externalizing behaviors, and its inverse relationship with prosocial attitudes (r ≈ -0.30 to -0.50). Discriminant validity is evidenced by weaker correlations with unrelated constructs, such as academic achievement (r < 0.30). Criterion validity is demonstrated by its ability to differentiate delinquent from non-delinquent youth and predict recidivism in juvenile offenders, as shown in intervention studies (Nas et al., 2005). Factor analyses confirm the four-distortion and four-behavioral category structure, supporting construct validity. The high reliability and validity make it a robust tool for research and clinical applications.
Available Versions
54-Items
Reference
Barriga, A. Q., & Gibbs, J. C. (1996). Measuring cognitive distortion in antisocial youth: Development and preliminary validation of the “How I Think” questionnaire. Aggressive Behavior: Official Journal of the International Society for Research on Aggression, 22(5), 333-343.
Gibbs, J. C., Potter, G. B., & Goldstein, A. P. (1995). The EQUIP program: Teaching youth to think and act responsibly through a peer-helping approach. Research Press.
Important Link
Scale File:
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the HIT Questionnaire measure?
It measures cognitive distortions related to antisocial behavior in social contexts.
Who can use the scale?
Psychologists, clinicians, and educators studying diverse adolescent populations.
How long does the scale take to complete?
It takes about 10-15 minutes.
Is the scale specific to certain groups?
No, it’s suitable for various ages and ethnic/racial backgrounds, primarily adolescents.
Can the scale inform interventions?
Yes, it supports cognitive-behavioral programs with high reliability (α = 0.96).
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