Psychometric Properties of the German Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ)

Abstract

The Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ) is a 15-item short form of the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire. This study aimed to investigate psychometric properties of a German translation of the BEAQ in a student and a clinical population. The BEAQ showed high internal reliability and overall acceptable convergent and discriminant validity. The BEAQ displayed adequate 7- to 13-day test–retest reliability and captured changes in experiential avoidance when experiential avoidance was targeted in treatment. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a bifactor structure where the BEAQ is modeled as one general and five specific factors that correspond to the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire subscales fit the data adequately. All items (except Item 1 in the clinical population) loaded on the general factor and common variance was approximately equally spread across the general and specific factors. The Distress Endurance subscale was not included in this model, since it is represented by only one item, which showed poor performances and low associations to the BEAQ’s total score in both samples. We recommend further research into the BEAQ’s factor structure to substantiate our preliminary findings.

The Berlin Misophonia Questionnaire Revised (BMQ-R): Development and validation of a symptom-oriented diagnostical instrument for the measurement of misophonia

“…The BEAQ is a 15-item unidimensional measure of experiential avoidance behavior and a reduced-item version of the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (MEAQ; [ 43 ]). For this study, only items from the former Behavioral Avoidance subscale of the German version [ 44 ] were chosen which reflect situational avoidance of physical discomfort and distress. The respective items are rated on a 6-point rating scale (1 = strongly disagree to 6 = strongly agree ).…”

“…The respective items are rated on a 6-point rating scale (1 = strongly disagree to 6 = strongly agree ). The internal consistency of the BEAQ is good (α = .87) and it correlates highly with convergent measures of avoidance [ 44 ].…”

The Berlin Misophonia Questionnaire (BMQ): Development and validation of a symptom-oriented diagnostical instrument for the measurement of misophonia

“…Items are rated on a 6-point rating scale (1 = strongly disagree to 6 = strongly agree). The internal consistency of the BEAQ is good (α = .87) and it demonstrated high correlations with convergent measures of avoidance [48].…”

“…The BEAQ is a 15-item unidimensional measure of experiential avoidance behavior and a reduced-item version of the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (MEAQ; [47]). For this study, only items from the former Behavioral Avoidance subscale of the German version [48] were chosen which reflect situational avoidance of physical discomfort and distress. This has two reasons: First, the German unidimensional version did not demonstrate sufficient fit to the data [48] yet the Behavioral Avoidance subscale of the MEAQ appears to be stable and a core dimension [47], and second, only this content area is of importance for the present study.…”

“…For this study, only items from the former Behavioral Avoidance subscale of the German version [48] were chosen which reflect situational avoidance of physical discomfort and distress. This has two reasons: First, the German unidimensional version did not demonstrate sufficient fit to the data [48] yet the Behavioral Avoidance subscale of the MEAQ appears to be stable and a core dimension [47], and second, only this content area is of importance for the present study. Items are rated on a 6-point rating scale (1 = strongly disagree to 6 = strongly agree).…”