An assessment co-created by developmental psychology professor John Gibbs has now been translated into at least six languages—including, most recently, Urdu. 

First published in 2001 by Research Press Publishers, the How I Think questionnaire measures cognitive distortions associated with antisocial behavior. 

“My sense is that the self-servingly distorted thinking that supports and facilitates antisocial behavior is fairly well identifiable across cultures,” said Gibbs, who developed the assessment with Granville Bud Potter and Alvaro Q. Barriga.

“That’s why the HIT has been translated into so many languages and valuably used in so many countries.”

Respondents to How I Think use a six-point Likert scale to rate how much they agree with 54 statements, such as “Rules are mostly meant for other people” and “You have to get even with people who don’t show you respect.” 

These statements reflect four main categories of distorted thinking: self-centered, blaming others, minimizing/mislabeling and assuming the worst. They also reflect symptoms of antisocial disorders outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV).

How I Think has become a mainstay among clinicians worldwide treating clients with antisocial behaviors, helping them plan treatments, track therapeutic progress and evaluate programs. It can be administered to groups or individuals, requires a fourth grade reading level and takes up to 15 minutes to complete, according to the publisher.

In addition to its original English version, How I Think has Dutch, French, Hindi, Polish and Portuguese editions.