Cited by 65Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesIdentity, Memory, and TherapyMemory Processes and Influences

Experiential avoidance in idiographic, autobiographical memories: Construct validity and links to social anxiety, depressive, and anger symptoms

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Kashdan, Todd B., Breen, William E., Afram, Alex, Terhar, Daniel·2010·Journal of Anxiety Disorders

Abstract

Experiential avoidance, or attempts to alter or avoid undesirable thoughts and feelings, has been theorized to be relevant to the development of emotional disturbances, particularly anxiety problems. Prior work has relied on two methodologies: global self-report measures or laboratory manipulations. To better understand links between experiential avoidance and emotional disturbances, we measured experiential avoidance in the context of prominent anxious autobiographical events. Trained raters coded events for emotionality and reliance on experiential avoidance. Our interest was whether experiential avoidance could be measured as a memory characteristic and how it relates to social anxiety, depressive, and anger symptoms. As evidence of construct validity, experiential avoidance ratings were related to more intense negative emotions and coping difficulties during anxious events, memory vividness, and emotion suppression tendencies. Experiential avoidance was positively related to social anxiety and depressive symptoms and predicted an increase in social anxiety over a 3-month period; findings could not be attributed to the emotionality of memories. In contrast, no relations were found with inward or outward expressions of anger, or longitudinal change in depressive or anger symptoms. Results suggest that experiential avoidance is an important dimension of people's life narratives and particularly relevant to social anxiety problems.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.03.010

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  1. American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition-Text Revised 2000 Washington, DC APA
  2. Block JA Acceptance or change of private experiences: A comparative analysis in college students with public speaking anxiety Doctoral dissertation 2002 University at Albany, State University of New York

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Authors
Kashdan, T. B., Breen, W. E., Afram, A., & Terhar, D.
Affiliations
George Mason University (US)
Corresponding author
Kashdan, Todd B.
Venue
Journal of Anxiety Disorders
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2010-06
Volume
24
Issue
5
Pages
528-534
ISSN
0887-6185 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1990774249
Cited by
65
References
40
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 6
FWCI
5.86
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Anxiety Disorders (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (MH-73937)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
Keywords
experiential avoidance, autobiographical memory, social anxiety, depressive symptoms, emotional suppression, memory vividness, coping difficulties, life stories, construct validity
MeSH terms
Adult, Anger, Autobiographies as Topic, Depressive Disorder, Major, Major Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Life Change Events, Male, Personality Disorders, Phobic Disorders, Surveys and Questionnaires, Severity of Illness Index, Narration, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

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