Differential Response to a Dysphoric Mood Induction Procedure as a Function of Level of Experiential Avoidance

Participants reporting high versus low levels of experiential avoidance as assessed by the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (Hayes et al., 2004) were compared in their responsivity to a mood induction procedure and in their subjective reactions to resulting changes in dysphoric mood. Both groups showed equivalent changes in levels of dysphoric mood across phases of the induction procedure. As expected, however, high avoidant participants reported higher levels of subjective distress than did their low avoidant counterparts in reaction to increased dysphoric mood. The overall findings are consistent with those of other similar investigations in suggesting that experiential avoidance may be usefully conceptualized as a functional response class that supports diverse forms and levels of human suffering.