Development of the Rational Behavior Inventory: Initial Validity and Reliability

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to develop a brief and efficient instrument for assessment, treatment planning, and evaluation of clients by counselors who use Rational Emotive Therapy (RET). Subjects were 235 undergraduate students. Eleven Guttman scales were developed following factor analysis. Each factor is measured by a Guttman scale with a coefficient of reproducibility of 0.90 or greater and with a coefficient of scalability of 0.60. Pre- and posttest scores were obtained for 40 mental health professionals attending an all-day workshop on RET. Over-all test scores were significantly different at the 0.025 level in the predicted direction. There was also a significant difference in the predicted direction between pretest scores of the professionals and the college students. In another study, 87 professionals attending a two day workshop on RET were tested before and after the workshop. There were significant differences in the predicted direction at the 0.025 level or beyond for the overall test scores and for scores on 10 of the 11 subfactors. Data on sex differences for the three groups tested are also presented.