72-item measure (8 scenarios × 9 items) of negative cognitive style. 5 subscales: Internality, Globality, Stability, Negative Consequences, Self-Worth Implications. 5-point Likert (1=Strongly agree to 5=Strongly disagree). Higher scores = more negative cognitive style. Many items reverse-scored. Based on your answers to its 72 items, you'll get a breakdown across its 5 component areas as well as an overall picture, showing where the pattern is strongest for you. Your result gives you a clearer, more specific picture of how you've been thinking, feeling, or coping recently, rather than a vague sense of it.
Instrument Specifications
Target Population
Teachers, Educators & Faculty
Administration Format
Self-Administered
Intended Domain / Purpose
Research & Empirical Study
Recommended Age Bracket
Adults (18+ yrs)
Duration & Pacing
5 Minutes (Self-Paced)
Access License
Open Creative Commons
Academic Citation & Instrument Provenance
When referencing this instrument in research, academic theses, or clinical institutional audits, please cite the original author publication:
License: CC BY 3.0 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2011.11.026). Citation: Meins, E., McCarthy-Jones, S., Fernyhough, C., Lewis, G., Bentall, R. P., & Alloy, L. B. (2012). Assessing negative cognitive style: Development and validation of a short-form version of the Cognitive Style Questionnaire. Personality and Individual Differences, 52, 581-585. This is not a diagnostic tool. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of self-harm, please contact a licensed mental health professional or a crisis helpline in your country immediately. Low/Moderate/High bands below reflect this test's own possible score range only (simple thirds) — they are NOT a clinical threshold or population norm. No such cutoff has been published for this instrument.
Governance, Boundaries & Ethical Use
Construct Boundaries & Interpretive Limitations
Imported from the OpenScales open item-bank project. This specific digital implementation has not been independently clinically validated by PsiQ — scores are for self-reflection, research, and educational purposes only, and are not a diagnosis.
License: CC BY 3.0 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2011.11.026). Citation: Meins, E., McCarthy-Jones, S., Fernyhough, C., Lewis, G., Bentall, R. P., & Alloy, L. B. (2012). Assessing negative cognitive style: Development and validation of a short-form version of the Cognitive Style Questionnaire. Personality and Individual Differences, 52, 581-585. This is not a diagnostic tool. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of self-harm, please contact a licensed mental health professional or a crisis helpline in your country immediately. Low/Moderate/High bands below reflect this test's own possible score range only (simple thirds) — they are NOT a clinical threshold or population norm. No such cutoff has been published for this instrument.
