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Interrelating Behavioral Measures of Distress Tolerance with Self-Reported Experiential Avoidance
Heather M Schloss1, David A F Haaga
1Department of Psychology, American University, Asbury Building, Washington, DC 20016-8062, USA.
Summary
This study found that self-report measures of experiential avoidance did not correlate with behavioral measures of distress tolerance in adult smokers. More research is needed to understand these constructs in smoking cessation therapies.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Therapy
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Experiential avoidance and distress intolerance are key concepts in modern behavioral therapies.
- These concepts may overlap with Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy's (REBT) concept of low frustration tolerance.
- Understanding these constructs is crucial for developing effective smoking cessation interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the convergent validity of self-report measures of experiential avoidance and behavioral measures of distress tolerance.
- To examine the relationship between experiential avoidance, distress tolerance, and frustration tolerance in adult smokers undergoing smoking cessation.
- To clarify the distinctiveness of these psychological constructs.
Main Methods:
- Utilized baseline data from 100 adult cigarette smokers in a smoking cessation clinical trial.
- Assessed experiential avoidance using the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ) and Avoidance and Inflexibility Scale (AIS).
- Measured distress tolerance via the computerized Mirror Tracing Persistence Task (MTPT-C) and Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (PASAT-C).
Main Results:
- Distress tolerance measures showed a significant positive correlation (r = .29) with each other.
- Self-report measures of experiential avoidance did not correlate with each other.
- Neither experiential avoidance measure correlated significantly with the behavioral distress tolerance measures.
Conclusions:
- The convergent validity of self-report measures for experiential avoidance requires further investigation.
- The overlap and distinctiveness between experiential avoidance, distress tolerance, and frustration tolerance need additional research.
- Findings suggest current self-report measures may not adequately capture experiential avoidance in the context of smoking cessation.
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