Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Cognitive Error Questionnaire in a sample of Iranian college students

While Beck's constructs of depression, such as cognitive errors, have been studied extensively in Western cultures, there is a lack of translated measures to conduct such studies in non-Western populations. This study assessed the psychometrics of a Farsi-language Cognitive Error Questionnaire (CEQ-P) in a sample of Iranian college students. The factor structure of the Farsi-language CEQ was analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis to determine whether it had a factor structure similar to that of the CEQ used in a Western sample. Results indicated that scores from the CEQ-P demonstrated acceptable internal consistency, acceptable concurrent criterion validity, and good discriminant validity among individuals without depression, with subclinical depressive symptoms, and experiencing a major depressive episode. The CEQ-P had the same factor structure seen in a Western sample. The CEQ-P represents a useful research and clinical tool to investigate the role of cognitive errors in nonclinical Iranian populations.