Defensive Mental Simulations of Loss of Impulse Control: A Novel Conceptual Analysis of Obsessional Thinking Tested via the Defensive Simulation Questionnaire (DSQ)

Abstract Background What if individuals with obsessional thinking are not merely passive observers of involuntary and unintended intrusive thoughts? Intrusive thoughts about abhorrent acts commonly distress individuals with OCD. We propose the novel hypothesis that these intrusions, in part, serve a paradoxical self-protective or defensive function. According to the defensive simulation hypothesis, individuals strategically rehearse catastrophic scenarios involving abhorrent acts to brace and prepare themselves for potential threats, prompt heightened caution, and counteract a feared loss of control. Paradoxically, these simulations may also intensify and sustain obsessional thinking. Methodology College students ( n = 438) completed the newly developed Defensive Simulation Questionnaire (DSQ), along with measures of obsessional thinking, obsessive–compulsive symptoms, anxiety, depression, fear of self, inferential confusion, and interpretations of intrusive thoughts. Results Structural equation modeling indicated that an overarching factor of abhorrent-scenario simulation accounted for the majority of variance in DSQ items and comprised two subfactors: simulation of abhorrent feelings and common simulations. The DSQ demonstrated strong psychometric properties, showed clear distinction from related constructs (e.g., fear of self, inferential confusion), and predicted obsessional symptoms beyond these constructs, including performance on a face-valid cross-validation task. Conclusions These findings support the hypothesized role of defensive simulations in intrusive obsessional thinking and point to promising directions for future research and potential clinical interventions.