Embracing the Structure of Metacognitive Beliefs: Validation of the French Short Version of the Metacognitions Questionnaire

Cognitive models of psychopathology posit that metacognitive beliefs may figure prominently in the maintenance, and perhaps the etiology, of emotional disorders. Wells and Cartwright-Hatton (2004) developed the 30-item Metacognitions Questionnaire (MCQ-30) to measure metacognitive beliefs among individuals with anxiety and depression. However, uncertainty still abounds regarding the factorial structure of the French version of the MCQ-30. We designed the present study to overcome this issue. We computed confirmatory factor analyses to examine structural properties of the MCQ-30 in a French-speaking community sample (N = 262). Our results are consistent with previous studies, especially regarding the factorial structure. Moreover, good internal reliability and concurrent validity were observed. The MCQ-30 is a reliable and valid tool for assessing various factors of metacognitions for research and clinical purposes.