Focus Area: Experiential Avoidance in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
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Overview: The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire 2 (AAQ-2) is a process measure of experiential avoidance as defined in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). It was developed to be used as a trans-diagnostic severity measure consistent with the ACT model of health and wellness.  

Total number of items: Seven 

Standardized cadence: Variable 

Estimated completion time: One to two minutes 

Supported subscales: None 

Age range: Variable

Scoring and interpretation: This measure does not identify cutoff scores. Raw scores can be compared on a repeated basis (e.g., week-by-week) to detect change in experiential avoidance throughout treatment.  

Reliability/Validity: Results from 2,816 participants across six samples indicate a mean (SD) Cronbach’s alpha of 0.84 (0.78 – 0.88) and a 3-month and 12-month test-retest reliability of 0.81 and 0.79, respectively.  

Additional information: The AAQ-2 is well-suited for ACT and related clinical approaches that take a non-pathologizing stance toward mental health and wellness. In this way, the AAQ-2 should be used when the clinician wants to track the effectiveness of acceptance/mindfulness and values-based interventions on a week-by-week basis, but does not want to assign symptom rating scales attached to a particular mental health disorder.