Experiential Avoidance as an Emotion Regulatory Function: An Empirical Analysis of Experiential Avoidance in Relation to Behavioral Avoidance, Cognitive Reappraisal, and Response Suppression
- 18 February 2013
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Informa UK Limited in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
- Vol. 42 (3), 224-232
- https://doi.org/10.1080/16506073.2013.773059
Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to empirically test the suggestion that experiential avoidance in an emotion regulation context is best understood as an emotion regulatory function of topographically distinct strategies. To do this we examined whether a measure of experiential avoidance could statistically account for the effects of emotion regulation strategies intervening at different points of the emotion-generative process as conceptualized by Gross' (1998) process model of emotion regulation. The strategies under examination were behavioral avoidance, cognitive reappraisal, and response suppression. The specific hypotheses to be tested were (1) that behavioral avoidance, cognitive reappraisal, and response suppression would statistically mediate the differences in measures of psychological well-being between a clinical and nonclinical sample, but that (2) these indirect effects would be reduced to nonsignificant levels when controlling for differences in experiential avoidance. The results provide clear support for the first hypothesis with regard to all the studied strategies. In contrast to the second hypothesis, the results showed the predicted outcome pattern only for the response-focused strategy response suppression and not for cognitive reappraisal or behavioral avoidance. The results are interpreted and discussed in relation to theories on experiential avoidance and emotion regulation.Keywords
This publication has 30 references indexed in Scilit:
- Preliminary Psychometric Properties of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire–II: A Revised Measure of Psychological Inflexibility and Experiential AvoidanceBehavior Therapy, 2011
- Posttraumatic stress and growth among Tibetan refugees: the mediating role of cognitive‐emotional regulation strategiesJournal of Clinical Psychology, 2011
- Acceptance and mindfulness-based therapy: New wave or old hat?Clinical Psychology Review, 2008
- Experiential avoidance as a functional dimensional approach to psychopathology: An empirical reviewJournal of Clinical Psychology, 2007
- Measuring experiential avoidance: A preliminary test of a working modelThe Psychological Record, 2004
- Is thought–action fusion specific to obsessive–compulsive disorder?: a mediating role of negative affectBehaviour Research and Therapy, 2003
- Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: Implications for affect, relationships, and well-being.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2003
- Experiential Avoidance and High-Risk Sexual Behavior in Survivors of Child Sexual AbuseJournal of Child Sexual Abuse, 2002
- Antecedent- and response-focused emotion regulation: Divergent consequences for experience, expression, and physiology.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1998
- Experiential avoidance and behavioral disorders: A functional dimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1996