Cognitive distortions are commonly viewed as an important factor in the assessment and treatment of sexual offenders. However, consensus about the operational definition of cognitive distortions and the best instrument to measure such distortions is lacking. This paper evaluates the Bumby MOLEST and RAPE scales as measures of cognitive distortions with patients civilly committed under California's Sexually Violent Predator law. Rapists and child molesters in the current sample endorsed markedly fewer cognitive distortions than the sexual offenders in Bumby's original study (K. M. Bumby, 1996). It is suggested that current self-report measures such as the MOLEST and RAPE scales are too susceptible to a socially desirable response set to provide useful data with sexual offenders who are involuntarily committed for treatment.
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