Psychological Measurement Instruments
The following psychological scales have been developed or translated by our research group:
Assessment of Core CBT Skills (ACCS):https://www.accs-scale.co.uk/
The ACCS is a rating scale for evaluating cognitive-behavioral therapy competencies, which can also be used for self-reflection or supervision. We have translated it into German.
• Kühne, F., Lacki, F. J., Muse, K., & Weck, F. (2019). Strengthening the competence of therapists-in-training in the treatment of health anxiety (hypochondriasis): validation of the Assessment of Core CBT Skills (ACCS). Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 26, 319-327.
Authenticity of Patient Demonstrations (APD)
The Authenticity of Patient Demonstrations scale allows for the assessment of the realism of simulated interactions. The instrument is available in German and English.
• Ay-Bryson DS, Weck F & Kühne F (2022). Can simulated patient encounters appear authentic? Development and pilot results of a rating instrument based on the portrayal of depressive patients. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 16(1), 20-27.
Cooper-Norcross Inventory of Preferences (C-NIP): https://www.c-nip.net/
The C-NIP enables patients to express their therapy preferences, such as whether they prefer their psychotherapist to focus on their thoughts or their feelings. We have translated the C-NIP into German.
• Heinze, P. E., Weck, F., & Kühne, F. (2022). Assessing patient preferences: Examination of the German Cooper-Norcross Inventory of Preferences. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.795776
Counselor Activity Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES-R)
The CASES-R assesses how counselors or psychotherapists perceive their ability to perform specific counseling or therapy-related tasks (e.g., helping clients set realistic goals). We have translated the scale into German, and it is available here.
• Hahn, D., Weck, F., Witthöft, M., & Kühne, F. (2021). Assessment of Counseling Self-Efficacy: Validation of the German Counselor Activity Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES-R). Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.780088
Clinical communication skills scale (CCSS)
The CCSS allows for the assessment of basic communication skills exhibited by counselors and therapists in conversations and therapy sessions. This includes structuring aspects (e.g., summarizing interim results) as well as various communication techniques (e.g., paraphrasing what the patient said).
• Kühne, F., Heinze, P.E., Ay-Bryson, D.S., Maaß, U. & Weck, F. (2021). Development of a scale for assessing basic psychotherapeutic skills. Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie, 50, 116-132.
The CCSS is available in German and English. Furthermore, a 14-item short version is available, the CCSS-S:
• Maaß, U., Kühne, F., Heinze, P. E., Ay-Bryson, D. S. & Weck, F. (2022). The concise measurement of clinical communication skills: validation of a short scale. Frontiers in Psychiatry 13:977324. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.977324
Cognitive Therapy Scale (CTS):
The German version of the CTS (original version by Young & Beck, 1980; revision by Blackburn et al., 2001) measures the extent of therapists' competence in cognitive-behavioral therapy from an expert's perspective (i.e., based on behavioral observations). It consists of 14 items (e.g., agenda setting, guided discovery, resource activation). The CTS is available in German.
• Weck, F., Hautzinger, M., Heidenreich, T., & Stangier, U. (2010). Erfassung psychotherapeutischer Kompetenzen: Validierung einer deutschsprachigen Version der Cognitive Therapy Scale. Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie, 39(4), 244–250. doi.org/10.1026/1616-3443/a000055
Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale - English and German Short Forms (DOCS-SF)
The DOCS-SF is a short-form questionnaire that asks about the presence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms on four dimensions (e.g., contamination), and then records the level of severity for the currently most distressing domain (e.g., time expenditure, avoidance).
The DOCS-SF is available in German and English.
• Kühne, F., Paunov, T., Abramowitz, J.S., Fink-Lamotte, J., Hansen, B., Kvale, G., & Weck, F. (2021). Screening for Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms: Validation of the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale - English and German Short Forms. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 29, 100625. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2021.100625
Skills Assessment of Patients with Health anxiety (SAPH)
The SAPH measures the frequency of skills demonstrated by patients with health anxiety in a specific therapy session, separately for cognitive and exposure therapy skills.
The SAPH is available in German and English.
• Ay, D. S., Kühne, F., & Weck, F. (2019). The assessment of CBT skills in patients diagnosed with health anxiety: Development and pilot study on an observer-based rating scale. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 26(6), 639-649.