Noticing negativity: Exploring the relationship between experiential avoidance and mood-relevant thinking

Abstract

ObjectiveExperiential avoidance (EA) represents an individual's avoidant responses towards their own internal experiences (e.g., thoughts and feelings). Recent research has raised concerns about EA's incremental validity over other individual difference variables. We argue that EA may be related to a greater focus on negative (relative to neutral) information, and that EA may have a unique predictive role when careful thought is encouraged. MethodIn a series of three experiments, we examined EA's association with the endorsement of negative statements, relative to control statements, in the context of a negative mood induction. We subsequently measured participant's mood. In Experiment 3 we manipulated participant's motivation and ability to engage in careful thinking. ResultsAcross three studies, EA was related to greater endorsement of negative, but not neutral mood statements, which predicted lower mood. Further, this effect was most prominent under conditions of high-elaboration (i.e., when careful thinking was encouraged). ConclusionsWe argue that EA may be related to a negativity bias (selectively endorsing negative but not neutral information), and that conditions that allow for careful thought may facilitate EA's relation to emotional reactions.