The Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire: Validation of the French Version in Non-clinical Adults

[en] Introduction: Various studies indicate the role of experiential avoidance (EA) in the onset and maintenance of mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety disorders. The Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ) is a quick tool to assess EA. Objective: This study aimed to translate the BEAQ into French and to validate it in a sample of non-clinical adults. Method: The BEAQ was translated from English into French using the translation and back-translation technique. The translated questionnaire was submitted to 93 psychology students to identify unclear/ambiguous items. Then, the final French and the original versions of the BEAQ were administered to 64 bilingual individuals two weeks apart to assess the scale’s content validity and test-retest reliability. Finally, the BEAQ-French and other scales were administered to 580 non-clinical adults to assess its factor structure and its convergent and discriminant validity. Results: Results showed no significant difference between the English and French versions of the BEAQ. The BEAQ demonstrated high internal consistency and good test-retest reliability. Confirmatory factor analyses did not support the one-factor structure of the BEAQ. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a two-factor structure. The BEAQ presented satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity with related measures and measures of neuroticism, negative affect and mental health problems. Conclusion: The results suggest that the BEAQ-French is a reliable tool for assessing EA. Unlike the original version, the BEAQ-French exhibits a two-factor rather than a one-factor structure. Further research is needed to confirm this two-factor structure and to assess more precisely the convergent validity of the scale.

Disciplines :

Theoretical & cognitive psychology

Author, co-author :

Er, Esin ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Unités de recherche interfacultaires > Research Unit for a life-Course perspective on Health and Education (RUCHE)

Wagener, Aurélie ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Unités de recherche interfacultaires > Research Unit for a life-Course perspective on Health and Education (RUCHE)

Etienne, Anne-Marie ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie > Psychologie de la santé

Vander Haegen, Marie ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie > Psychologie de la santé

Language :

English

Title :

The Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire: Validation of the French Version in Non-clinical Adults

Publication date :

04 October 2024

Journal title :

Psychologica Belgica

ISSN :

0033-2879

eISSN :

2054-670X

Publisher :

Ubiquity Press, Ltd.

Volume :

Issue :

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://account.psychologicabelgica.com/index.php/up-j-pb/article/download/1256/1141

Available on ORBi :

since 07 October 2024

Statistics

Number of views

49 (3 by ULiège)

Number of downloads

35 (1 by ULiège)

More statistics

Scopus citations^®

Scopus citations^®
without self-citations

OpenCitations

OpenAlex citations

Bibliography

Akbari, M., Seydavi, M., Hosseini, Z. S., Krafft, J., & Levin, M. E. (2022). Experiential avoidance in depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive related, and posttraumatic stress disorders: A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 24, 6578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2022.03.007
Bardeen, J. R. (2015). Short-term pain for long-term gain: The role of experiential avoidance in the relation between anxiety sensitivity and emotional distress. Journal of anxiety disorders, 30, 113–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. janxdis.2014.12.013
Berghoff, C. R., Tull, M. T., DiLillo, D., Messman-Moore, T., & Gratz, K. L. (2017). The role of experiential avoidance in the relation between anxiety disorder diagnoses and future physical health symptoms in a community sample of young adult women. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 6(1), 29–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2016.11.002
Blais, M. R., Vallerand, R. J., Pelletier, L. G., & Brière, N. (1989). L’échelle de satisfaction de vie: Validation canadiennefrançaise du « Satisfaction with Life Scale.» Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 21(2), 210223. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0079854
Blakey, S. M., Halverson, T. F., Evans, M. K., Patel, T. A., Hair, L. P., Meyer, E. C., … Kimbrel, N. A. (2021). Experiential avoidance is associated with medical and mental health diagnoses in a national sample of deployed Gulf War veterans. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 142, 17–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.07.033
Boateng, G. O., Neilands, T. B., Frongillo, E. A., Melgar-Quiñónez, H., & Young, S. L. (2018). Best Practices for Developing and Validating Scales for Health, Social, and Behavioral Research: A Primer. Frontiers in Public Health, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00149
Bocéréan, C., & Dupret, É. (2014). A validation study of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) in a large sample of French employees. BMC Psychiatry, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-014-0354-0
Bond, F. W., Hayes, S. C., Baer, R. A., Carpenter, K. M., Guenole, N., Orcutt, H. K., … Zettle, R. D. (2011). Preliminary psychometric properties of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II: A revised measure of psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance. Behavior Therapy, 42(4), 676–688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2011.03.007
Borgogna, N. C., Spencer, S. D., Johnson, D. A., Brasil, K. M., McDermott, R. C., Kraus, S. W., & Buchanan, J. A. (2023). The development and validation of the experiential avoidance rating scale (EARS): A self-report questionnaire that might actually measure experiential avoidance. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 30, 121131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2023.10.001
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822848. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822
Byllesby, B. M., Coe, L. E. S., Dickstein, B. D., & Chard, K. M. (2020). Psychometric evaluation of the Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire among treatment-seeking veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychological Trauma, 12(7), 785789. https://doi.org/10.1037/ tra0000581
Caci, H., & Baylé, F. (2007). L’échelle d’affectivité positive et d’affectivité négative. Première traduction en français. Paper presented at the Congrès de l’Encéphale, Paris, 25–27.
Cao, H., Mak, Y. W., Li, H. Y., & Leung, D. Y. P. (2021). Chinese validation of the Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ) in college students. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 19, 7985. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2021.01.004
Cattell, R. B., & Vogelmann, S. (1977). A comprehensive trial of the scree and KG criteria for determining the number of factors. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 12(3), 289–325. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327906mbr1203_2
Cavicchioli, M., Ramella, P., Vassena, G., Simone, G., Prudenziati, F., Sirtori, F., … Maffei, C. (2020). Dialectical behaviour therapy skills training for the treatment of addictive behaviours among individuals with alcohol use disorder: The effect of emotion regulation and experiential avoidance. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 46(3), 368–384. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2020.1712411
Chawla, N., & Ostafin, B. (2007). Experiential avoidance as a functional dimensional approach to psychopathology: An empirical review. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 63(9), 871–890. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20400
Courtois, R., Petot, J. M., Plaisant, O., Allibe, B., Lignier, B., Réveillère, C., ... & John, O. (2020). Validation of the French version of the 10-item Big Five Inventory. L’Encéphale, 46(6), 455–462. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.encep.2020.02.006
Davis, S., Serfaty, M., Low, J., Armstrong, M., Kupeli, N., & Lanceley, A. (2022). Experiential Avoidance in Advanced Cancer: a Mixed-Methods Systematic Review. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 30(5), 585604. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-022-10131-4
Den Ouden, L., Tiego, J., Lee, R. S. C., Albertella, L., Greenwood, L. M., Fontenelle, L., … & Segrave, R. (2020). The role of experiential avoidance in transdiagnostic compulsive behavior: A structural model analysis. Addictive Behaviors, 108, Article 106464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106464
Diener, E. D., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The Satisfaction With Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75. https://doi.org/10.1207/ s15327752jpa4901_13
Dionne, F., Ngô, T., & Blais, M. (2014). Le modèle de la flexibilité psychologique: une approche nouvelle de la santé mentale. Santé Mentale au Québec, 38(2), 111130. https://doi.org/10.7202/1023992ar
Ellis, T. E., & Rufino, K. A. (2016). Change in experiential avoidance is associated with reduced suicidal ideation over the course of psychiatric hospitalization. Archives of Suicide Research, 20(3), 426–437. https://doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2015.1093983
Eustis, E. H., Hayes-Skelton, S. A., Roemer, L., & Orsillo, S. M. (2016). Reductions in experiential avoidance as a mediator of change in symptom outcome and quality of life in acceptance-based behavior therapy and applied relaxation for generalized anxiety disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 87, 188–195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2016.09.012
Fabrigar, L. R., Wegener, D. T., MacCallum, R. C., & Strahan, E. J. (1999). Evaluating the use of exploratory factor analysis in psychological research. Psychological Methods, 4(3), 272–299. https://doi.org/10.1037/1082-989x.4.3.272
Field, A. P. (2009). Discovering statistics using SPSS: (and sex and drugs and rock « n» roll). http://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/ BB05040852
Gámez, W., Chmielewski, M., Kotov, R., Ruggero, C., Suzuki, N., & Watson, D. (2014). The Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire: Development and initial validation. Psychological Assessment, 26(1), 35–45. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034473
Gámez, W., Chmielewski, M., Kotov, R., Ruggero, C., & Watson, D. (2011). Development of a measure of experiential avoidance: The Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire. Psychological Assessment, 23(3), 692–713. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023242
Haccoun, R. R. (1987). Une nouvelle technique de vérification de l’équivalence de mesures psychologiques traduites. Revue Québécoise de Psychologie, 8, 30–38.
Hayes, S. C. (2004). Acceptance and commitment therapy, relational frame theory, and the third wave of behavioral and cognitive therapies. Behavior Therapy, 35(4), 639–665. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0005-7894(04)80013-3
Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (2011). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Process and Practice of Mindful Change. Guilford press.
Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K., Wilson, K. G., Bissett, R. T., Pistorello, J., Toarmino, D., ... & McCurry, S. M. (2004). Measuring experiential avoidance: A preliminary test of a working model. The Psychological Record, 54, 553–578. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395492
Hayes, S. C., & Wilson, K. G. (1994). Acceptance and commitment therapy: Altering the verbal support for experiential avoidance. The Behavior Analyst, 17(2), 289–303. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03392677
Hayes, S. C., Wilson, K. G., Gifford, E. V., Follette, V. M., & Strosahl, K. (1996). Experimental avoidance and behavioral disorders: A functional dimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(6), 1152–1168. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-006x.64.6.1152
Haywood, S. B., Hasking, P., & Boyes, M. E. (2023). Associations between non-suicidal self-injury and experiential avoidance: A systematic review and robust Bayesian meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 325, 470–479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.027
He, M., Li, Y., Ju, R., Liu, S., Hofmann, S. G., & Liu, X. (2023). The role of experiential avoidance in the early stages of an online mindfulness-based intervention: Two mediation studies. Psychotherapy Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2023.2232528
John, O. P., Donahue, E. M., & Kentle, R. L. (1991). The Big Five Inventory – versions 4a and 54. Berkeley, CA: University of California, Berkeley, Institute of Personality and Social Research. https://doi.org/10.1037/t07550-000
Kaiser, H. F., & Rice, J. R. (1974). Little Jiffy, Mark IV. Educational And Psychological Measurement, 34(1), 111117. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447403400115
Kirk, A., Broman-Fulks, J. J., & Arch, J. J. (2021). A taxometric analysis of experiential avoidance. Behavior Therapy, 52(1), 208–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2020.04.008
Krabbe, P. F. M. (2017). Validity. Dans Elsevier eBooks (p. 113134). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-8015049.00007-6
Krings, A., Bortolon, C., Yazbek, H., & Blairy, S. (2021). Psychometric properties and factor structure of the French version of the behavioral activation for depression scale (BADS) in non-clinical adults. Psychologica Belgica, 61(1), 20–32. https://doi.org/10.5334/pb.542
Lewis, M. M., Naugle, A. E., Katte, K., & DiBacco, T. A. (2023). The indirect effects of state experiential avoidance on trait experiential avoidance and negative affect in the moment. Current Psychology, 43, 6284–6296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04798-5
Luoma, J. B., Pierce, B., & Levin, M. E. (2020). Experiential avoidance and negative affect as predictors of daily drinking. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 34(3), 421–433. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000554
McCluskey, D. L., Haliwa, I., Wilson, J. M., Keeley, J. W., & Shook, N. J. (2022). Experiential avoidance mediates the relation between mindfulness and anxiety. Current Psychology, 41(6), 3947–3957. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s12144-020-00929-4
Monestès, J. L., Villatte, M., Mouras, H., Loas, G., & Bond, F. W. (2009). French translation and validation of the acceptance & action questionnaire (AAQ-II). Revue Européenne de Psychologie Appliquée – European Review of Applied Psychology, 59(4), 301–308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erap.2009.09.001
Neacsiu, A. D., Lungu, A., Harned, M. S., Rizvi, S. L., & Linehan, M. M. (2014). Impact of dialectical behavior therapy versus community treatment by experts on emotional experience, expression, and acceptance in borderline personality disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 53, 47–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2013.12.004
Rammstedt, B. (2007). The 10-item big five inventory. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 23(3), 193–201. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759.23.3.193
Rault, A., & Décamps, G. (2022). Validation d’échelles françaises mesurant les motivations à boire au sein de la population étudiante générale et sportive. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue Canadienne des Sciences du Comportement, 54(3), 241–248. https://doi.org/10.1037/cbs0000282
Rochefort, C., Baldwin, A. S., & Chmielewski, M. (2018). Experiential avoidance: An examination of the construct validity of the AAQ-II and MEAQ. Behavior Therapy, 49(3), 435–449. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2017.08.008
Sahdra, B. K., Ciarrochi, J., Parker, P. D., & Scrucca, L. (2016). Using Genetic Algorithms in a Large Nationally Representative American Sample to Abbreviate the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire. Frontiers in Psychology, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00189
Schaeuffele, C., Knaevelsrud, C., Renneberg, B., & Boettcher, J. (2022). Psychometric properties of the german Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ). Assessment, 29(7), 1406–1421. https://doi.org/10.1177/10731911211010955
Schuman-Olivier, Z., Fatkin, T., Creedon, T. B., Samawi, F., Moore, S. K., Okst, K., Fredericksen, A. K., Oxnard, A. S., Roll, D., Smith, L., Cook, B. L., & Weiss, R. D. (2023). Effects of a trauma-informed mindful recovery program on comorbid pain, anxiety, and substance use during primary care buprenorphine treatment: A proof-of-concept study. The American Journal on Addictions, 32(3), 244–253. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajad.13364
Schweizer, K. (2010). Some guidelines concerning the modeling of traits and abilities in test construction. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 26(1), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000001
Shrestha, N. (2021). Factor analysis as a tool for survey analysis. American Journal of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, 9(1), 4–11. https://doi.org/10.12691/ajams-9-1-2
Spinhoven, P., Drost, J., de Rooij, M., van Hemert, A. M., & Penninx, B. W. (2014). A longitudinal study of experiential avoidance in emotional disorders. Behavior Therapy, 45(6), 840–850. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2014.07.001
Stoeber, J., Otto, K., & Dalbert, C. (2009). Perfectionism and the Big Five: Conscientiousness predicts longitudinal increases in self-oriented perfectionism. Personality and Individual Differences, 47(4), 363–368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2009.04.004
Tavakol, M., & Dennick, R. (2011). Making sense of Cronbach’s alpha. International Journal of Medical Education, 2, 53–55. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.4dfb.8dfd
Tyndall, I., Waldeck, D., Pancani, L., Whelan, R., Roche, B., & Dawson, D. L. (2019). The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) as a measure of experiential avoidance: Concerns over discriminant validity. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 12, 278284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2018.09.005
Ursachi, G., Horodnic, I. A., & Zait, A. (2015). How reliable are measurement scales? External factors with indirect influence on reliability estimators. Procedia Economics and Finance, 20, 679–686. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2212-5671(15)00123-9
Vallerand, R. J. (1989). Vers une méthodologie de validation trans-culturelle de questionnaires psychologiques: Implications pour la recherche en langue française. Canadian Psychology, 30(4), 662680. https://doi. org/10.1037/h0079856
Vander Haegen, M., Étienne, A., & Flahault, C. (2022). Première étude des qualités psychométriques de la version française du questionnaire d’inquiétudes parentales (QIPS-R15) dans le cadre d’une maladie chronique pédiatrique. Revue Européenne de Psychologie Appliquée, 72(5), 100765. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erap.2022.100765
Vázquez-Morejón, R., León Rubio, J. M., Martín Rodríguez, A., & Vázquez Morejón, A. J. (2019). Validation of a Spanish version of the Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ) in clinical population. Psicothema, 31(3), 335–340. https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2019.60
Wagener, A., & Blairy, S. (2015). Version française de la Distress Tolerance Scale et de la Discomfort Intolerance Scale. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 47(3), 241250. https://doi.org/10.1037/cbs0000015
Wardęszkiewicz, J., & Holas, P. (2024). Validation of the Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ) in a representative Polish sample. Psychiatria Polska, 58(1), 7993. https://doi.org/10.12740/pp/162165
Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(6), 1063–1070. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.54.6.1063
Wegner, D. M., & Zanakos, S. (1994). Chronic thought suppression. Journal of Personality, 62(4), 616–640. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1994.tb00311.x
Wolgast, M. (2014). What does the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II) really measure? Behavior Therapy, 45(6), 831–839. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2014.07.002
Yela, J. R., Crego, A., Buz, J., Sánchez-Zaballos, E., & Gómez-Martínez, M. Á. (2022). Reductions in experiential avoidance explain changes in anxiety, depression and well-being after a mindfulness and self-compassion (MSC) training. Psychology and Psychotherapy, 95(2), 402–422. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12375
Yela, J. R., Crego, A., Gómez-Martínez, M. Á., & Jiménez, L. (2020). Self-compassion, meaning in life, and experiential avoidance explain the relationship between meditation and positive mental health outcomes. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 76(9), 1631–1652. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22932
Zigmond, A. S., & Snaith, R. P. (1983). The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 67(6), 361–370. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.1983.tb09716.x