Acceptance and Action Questionnaire – II
AAQ-IIPsychological Inflexibility / Experiential Avoidance
7 items
2011
α 0.78–0.88
Free
Bond, F.W., Hayes, S.C., Baer, R.A., Carpenter, K.M., Guenole, N., Orcutt, H.K., Waltz, T., & Zettle, R.D.
What it measures
The primary measure of psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance — core processes in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Higher scores indicate greater psychological inflexibility. Widely used as an outcome measure in ACT trials.
Response format
Likert (1–7, never true to always true)
Representative items
- My painful experiences and memories make it difficult for me to live a life that I would value.
- I'm afraid of my feelings.
- I worry about not being able to control my worries and feelings.
- My painful memories prevent me from having a fulfilling life.
- Emotions cause problems in my life.
Usage notes & scoring
Higher scores = more experiential avoidance (worse). Primary outcome in ACT research. Scores >=24–28 associated with clinical levels of psychological inflexibility. Freely available from Frank Bond.
Recommended companion scales
MAASSelf-Compassion ScalePHQ-9
Citation
Bond, F.W., et al. (2011). Preliminary psychometric properties of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire–II. Behavior Therapy, 42(4), 676–688.
Keywords
#ACT#experientialavoidance#psychologicalflexibility#acceptance#mindfulness#clinical