Relationships between Irrational Beliefs and Self-Report Indices of Psychopathology
As part of a larger study of beliefs, psychopathology, and criminal behavior, the Irrational Beliefs Test and the MMPI were administered to 125 inmates at a federal correctional institution. An initial correlation analysis between the Irrational Beliefs Test and three indices of psychopathology scored from the research scales of the MMPI indicated that greater belief irrationality was associated with increased maladjustment. The results provide important evidence of the validity for the Irrational Beliefs Test and secondarily support Ellis' 1962 theory of psychopathology.