Evaluating negative problem orientation: Italian validation of the Negative Problem Orientation Questionnaire
Gioia Bottesi, Marta Ghisi
Negative problem orientation is a negative attitude towards problems. It includes: evaluating problems
as threats; perception of low self-efficacy and scarce reliance on one’s own problem solving abilities;
pessimism towards the outcomes of the problem solving process; and low frustration tolerance. Several
studies have shown that negative problem orientation is a factor of vulnerability and maintenance in
generalised anxiety disorder and depression. The Negative Problem Orientation Questionnaire (NPOQ) is a
self-report measure designed to evaluate the cognitive component of negative problem orientation; its
good psychometric properties have been demonstrated in the French, English, and Spanish versions of
the questionnaire. The aim of this study is to validate the Italian version of the questionnaire.
Five hundred and ninety non-clinical individuals and 76 patients suffering from anxiety and/or
depression entered the study; they completed a battery of questionnaires administered in rotated order.
Findings revealed that the NPOQ possesses a one-factor structure and excellent internal consistency in
both the non-clinical and the clinical sample. Furthermore, good temporal stability, construct validity
and discriminant validity were observed. The association between negative problem orientation and
worry emerged to be stronger than the associations between such a construct and anxiety, depressive,
and general distress symptoms. Lastly, scores on the NPOQ were not related to gender, age and
education. To conclude, these results support the use of the NPOQ as a valid self-report measure to be
employed both in the non-clinical and clinical Italian context.
Keywords
Negative problem orientation, Validation, Self report, Factor structure,
Psychometric properties.
