Metacognition Assessment Interview: instrument description and factor structure.

Objective: Metacognition is a multi-component psychological construct, characterised by the ability to identify and describe one’s own mental states and those of others. Evidence has been found for an association between de cits in metacognitive abilities and poor social functioning, low quality of life, psychopathology, and symptoms in personality disorders (pds). However, to date, there are few psychometrically validated instruments available for assessing the different components of metacognition. a semi-structured interview, the Metacognition assessment interview (Mai), has been developed to evaluate different domains of metacognition. in the present study, we investigated the psychometric properties of the Mai in an outpatient clinical sample. Method: the Mai was administered to a clinical population of 306 outpatients attending a private clinical centre. Exploratory factor analysis, con rmatory factor analysis and correlation with instruments assessing alexithymia and interpersonal problems were carried out to examine the dimensionality and validity of the Mai. Result: Explorative and con rmatory factor analyses revealed a good t for both a two-factor model and a four-factor model of metacognition. The two-factor model yielded two main dimensions, which we named: Self domain, de ned as self-re ection, and Other domain, de ned as critical distancing from one’s own mental state and that of others. The four- factor solution is composed of four sub-domains: monitoring, integration, differentiation and decentration. Moreover, the MAI showed good convergent validity, with signi cant correlations with both alexithymia and interpersonal problems. Conclusions: These results con rm that the MAI is a reliable instrument for measuring metacognition and its different sub-domains. In particular, the MAI represents a useful and exible instrument for the assessment of metacognition impairments in different psychopathologies and it can provide useful indications for the focus of psychotherapy treatment.