Abstract
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 278-284 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science |
| Volume | 12 |
| Early online date | 26 Sep 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2019 |
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Bibliographical note
NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and otherquality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science
[In-press], [ISS], (2017)] DOI: 10.1016/j.jcbs.2018.09.005
© 2017, Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Copyright © and Moral Rights are retained by the author(s) and/ or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This item cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.
Keywords
- AAQ-II
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Experiential avoidance
- Psychological distress
- Psychological flexibility
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health(social science)
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Applied Psychology
- Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management
- Behavioral Neuroscience
Cite this
The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) as a measure of experiential avoidance: Concerns over discriminant validity. / Tyndall, Ian ; Waldeck, Daniel; Pancani, Luca; Whelan, Robert ; Roche, Bryan; Dawson, David.
In: Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, Vol. 12, 04.2019, p. 278-284.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) as a measure of experiential avoidance: Concerns over discriminant validity
AU - Tyndall, Ian
AU - Waldeck, Daniel
AU - Pancani, Luca
AU - Whelan, Robert
AU - Roche, Bryan
AU - Dawson, David
N1 - NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science [In-press], [ISS], (2017)] DOI: 10.1016/j.jcbs.2018.09.005 © 2017, Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Copyright © and Moral Rights are retained by the author(s) and/ or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This item cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.
PY - 2019/4
Y1 - 2019/4
N2 - Psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance are key constructs in the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) model of behavior change. Wolgast (2014) questioned the construct validity of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), the most used self-report instrument to assess the efficacy of ACT interventions. Wolgast suggested that the AAQ-II measured psychological distress rather than psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance. The current study further examined the construct validity of the AAQ-II by conducting an online cross-sectional survey (n = 524), including separate measures of experiential avoidance and psychological distress. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that items from the AAQ-II correlated more highly with measures of depression, anxiety, and stress than the Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ). Implications include that, as broad measures of experiential avoidance, the AAQ-II and BEAQ may not measure the same construct. In terms of psychological distress, the BEAQ has greater discriminant validity than the AAQ-II, and perhaps an alternative instrument of psychological inflexibility might be needed to assess core outcomes in ACT intervention research.
AB - Psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance are key constructs in the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) model of behavior change. Wolgast (2014) questioned the construct validity of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), the most used self-report instrument to assess the efficacy of ACT interventions. Wolgast suggested that the AAQ-II measured psychological distress rather than psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance. The current study further examined the construct validity of the AAQ-II by conducting an online cross-sectional survey (n = 524), including separate measures of experiential avoidance and psychological distress. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that items from the AAQ-II correlated more highly with measures of depression, anxiety, and stress than the Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ). Implications include that, as broad measures of experiential avoidance, the AAQ-II and BEAQ may not measure the same construct. In terms of psychological distress, the BEAQ has greater discriminant validity than the AAQ-II, and perhaps an alternative instrument of psychological inflexibility might be needed to assess core outcomes in ACT intervention research.
KW - AAQ-II
KW - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
KW - Experiential avoidance
KW - Psychological distress
KW - Psychological flexibility
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85054127788&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jcbs.2018.09.005
DO - 10.1016/j.jcbs.2018.09.005
M3 - Article
VL - 12
SP - 278
EP - 284
JO - Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science
JF - Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science
ER -