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Davos Assessment of Cognitive Biases Scale (DACOBS)3

Davos Assessment of Cognitive Biases Scale (DACOBS) Test

Understand how cognitive distortions shape thinking in schizophrenia in about 8 minutes. A 42-item scale pinpoints key bias patterns to guide care planning and track change over time.

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Questions: 428 minutes

08:30

September 1, 2026

September 1, 2026
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

27,236 views

3,104 completions

2,115 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

4/7

Avoidance Behavior (AB)

Measures the tendency to avoid situations or stimuli, which can limit engagement and adaptation.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 2: Low | 3 – 5: Moderate | 6 – 7: High

A score of 4 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable tendency to avoid certain situations or stimuli that may interfere with everyday functioning.

example score

1/7

Thought Problems (TP)

Measures self-reported difficulties in attention, memory, and reasoning that can interfere with processing information and making decisions.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 2: Low | 3 – 5: Moderate | 6 – 7: High

A score of 1 falls in the Low range, suggesting minimal reported thinking-related difficulties on this scale.

example score

3/7

Difficulties Understanding Others (DUO)

This scale measures difficulty interpreting other people’s motives, emotions, and intentions in social situations.

Low difficulty

Moderate difficulty

High difficulty

0 – 2: Low difficulty | 3 – 5: Moderate difficulty | 6 – 7: High difficulty

A score of 3 indicates a moderate level of difficulty understanding others, which may sometimes contribute to misunderstandings in interactions.

example score

3/7

External Attribution (EA)

Measures the tendency to explain events by attributing their causes to external factors or other people rather than to oneself or situational complexity.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 2: Low | 3 – 5: Moderate | 6 – 7: High

A score of 3 indicates a moderate tendency to attribute events to external causes, suggesting this bias is present but not pronounced on this scale.

example score

4/7

Attention to Threat (AtT)

Measures the tendency to selectively focus on potentially dangerous or negative cues in the environment.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 2: Low | 3 – 5: Moderate | 6 – 7: High

A score of 4 indicates a moderate tendency to notice potential threats more readily, which may be associated with increased vigilance to negative or suspicious cues.

example score

3/7

Belief Inflexibility (BI)

Assesses how inflexible a person is in revising beliefs when faced with new or contradictory information.

Low rigidity

Moderate rigidity

High rigidity

0 – 2: Low rigidity | 3 – 5: Moderate rigidity | 6 – 7: High rigidity

A score of 3 indicates a moderate level of belief rigidity, suggesting some difficulty updating views in response to new evidence in certain situations.

example score

5/7

Jumping to Conclusions (JtC)

Measures the tendency to form judgments quickly based on limited information rather than weighing sufficient evidence.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 2: Low | 3 – 4: Moderate | 5 – 7: High

A score of 5 falls in the High range, suggesting a stronger tendency to reach conclusions quickly with less evidence than is typically needed.

example score

5/7

Total Score (TS)

Reflects the overall severity of cognitive biases and thinking/perception limitations associated with psychotic-like distortions.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 2: Low | 3 – 4: Moderate | 5 – 7: High

A score of 5 falls in the High range, indicating a substantial overall level of cognitive distortions and related limitations.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Clinicians in psychosis care

46%OF USERS

Psychiatrists and clinical psychologists use it to identify which thinking biases are driving psychotic symptoms and to guide treatment planning.

Schizophrenia-spectrum patients

34%OF USERS

People with schizophrenia or related conditions take it during assessment to map cognitive distortions that may affect perceptions and decisions.

Researchers and trainees

20%OF USERS

Students and researchers in clinical psychology or psychiatry use it for training, case formulation practice, or studies tracking cognitive biases over time.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Avoidant Behavior (AB)

Average

2.4

Normal range

1.3 — 3.5

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Thinking Problems (TP)

Average

2.7

Normal range

1.6 — 3.8

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Problems Understanding Others (PUO)

Average

Normal range

1.9 — 4.2

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

External attribution (Ea)

Average

Normal range

3.7 — 6.2

min.

max.

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Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Attention to Threats (AtT)

Average

Normal range

3.8 — 6.2

min.

max.

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Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Rigidity of Beliefs (RoB)

Average

4.8

Normal range

3.7 — 5.8

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Hasty Conclusions (HC)

Average

2.6

Normal range

1.8 — 3.5

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Overall Score (OS)

Average

4.2

Normal range

3 — 5.4

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

This questionnaire includes a range of attitudes and beliefs that people sometimes hold. Please read each statement carefully and indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with it. For each statement, select the response option that best reflects your view. Because people differ, there are no right or wrong answers. When selecting your response, consider how you have behaved or what you have thought over the past two weeks.

- Completely agree
- Agree
- Somewhat agree
- Not sure
- Somewhat disagree
- Disagree
- Completely disagree
- Completely agree
- Agree
- Rather agree
- Don't know
- Rather disagree
- Disagree
- Completely disagree
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Somewhat agree
- Don't know
- Somewhat disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree

These are 3 of the 42 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Davos Cognitive Biases Scale, DACOBS Test

Davos Assessment of Cognitive Biases Scale (DACOBS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

irrational beliefs

cognitive distortions

psychopathology

schizophrenia

This self-report measure is used to assess cognitive bias patterns relevant to psychosis-spectrum presentations. The Davos Assessment of Cognitive Biases Scale (DACOBS) supports a structured review of thinking and perceptual tendencies that may contribute to distress, misinterpretation of events, or symptom maintenance.

The questionnaire consists of 42 items and typically takes about 8 minutes to complete. Results are intended to inform clinical formulation and treatment planning and may be used to monitor change over time. In clinical contexts, the Davos Assessment of Cognitive Biases Scale (DACOBS) should be interpreted alongside diagnostic interview findings, symptom measures, and overall functional assessment rather than used as a stand-alone indicator.

Literature: van der Gaag, M., Schütz, C., ten Napel, A., & De Hert, M. Development of the Davos Assessment of Cognitive Biases Scale (DACOBS). Schizophrenia Research. 2013.