Abstract
The authors examined the relationships between change-based and acceptance-based strategies for responding to negative internal experience (thoughts and emotions) and levels of psychological symptoms and well-being. A large sample of undergraduate students completed measures of their general frequency of experiencing negative affect and intrusive thoughts, their typical ways of responding when these experiences occur, and their levels of psychological symptoms and well-being. Correlational analyses showed that most of the identified ways of responding to negative internal experiences were significantly related to psychological symptoms and well-being, even after accounting for the general frequency of experiencing unwanted thoughts and emotions. Regression analyses suggested that change-based ways of responding add little or no incremental variance over acceptance-based strategies in accounting for lower symptom levels and greater well-being.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abramowitz, J., Tolin, D., & Street, G. (2001). Paradoxical effects of thought suppression: a meta-analysis of controlled studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 21, 683–703.
Baer, R. (2003). Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: a conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10, 125–143.
Baer, R., Smith, G., Hopkins, J., Krietemeyer, J., & Toney, L. (2006). Using self-report assessment methods to explore facets of mindfulness. Assessment, 12, 27–45.
Blackledge, J., & Hayes, S. (2001). Emotion regulation in acceptance and commitment therapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 57, 243–255.
Bloomberg, S. (2000). The white bear suppression inventory: revisiting its factor structure. Personality and Individual Differences, 29, 943–950.
Cohen, J., Cohen, P., West, S. G., & Aiken, L. S. (2003). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (3rd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Costa, P., & McCrae, R. (1992). Normal personality assessment in clinical practice: the NEO personality inventory. Psychological Assessment, 4, 5–13.
Derogatis, L. (2000). BSI-18 administration, scoring and procedures manual. Minneapolis: National Computer Systems.
Derogatis, L. R., Lipman, R. S., Rickels, K., Uhlenhuth, E. H., & Covi, L. (1974). The hopkins symptom checklist (HSCL): a self-report symptom inventory. Behavioral Science, 19, 1–15.
Geisser, M., Robinson, M., & Henson, C. (1994). The copings strategies questionnaire and chronic pain adjustment: a conceptual and empirical reanalysis. Clinical Journal of Pain, 10, 98–106.
Goldfried, M. R., & Davison, G. C. (1994). Clinical behavior therapy. NY: Wiley.
Gratz, K., & Roemer, L. (2004). Multidimensional assessment of emotion regulation and dysregulation: development, factor structure, and initial validation of the difficulties in emotion regulation scale. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 26, 41–54.
Gross, J., & John, O. (2003). Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: implications for affect, relationship, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2, 348–362.
Grossman, P., Neimann, L., Schmidt, S., & Walach, H. (2004). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits: a meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57, 35–43.
Hayes, S., Wilson, K., Gifford, E., Follette, V., & Strosahl, K. (1996). Emotional avoidance and behavioral disorders: a functional dimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 1152–1168.
Hayes, S., Strosahl, K., & Wilson, K. (1999). Acceptance and commitment therapy: An experiential approach to behavior change. New York: Guilford.
Hayes, S. C., Follette, V. M., & Linehan, M. M. (2004a). Mindfulness and acceptance: Expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition. NY: Guilford.
Hayes, S. C., Masuda, A., Bisset, R., Luoma, J. B., & Guerrero, L. (2004b). DBT, FAR, ACT: how empirically oriented are the new behavior therapy technologies. Behaviour Therapy, 35, 35–54.
Hoping, W., & de Jong-Meyer, R. (2003). Differentiating unwanted intrusive thoughts from thought suppression: what does the White Bear Suppression Inventory measure? Personality and Individual Differences, 34, 1049–1055.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1982). An outpatient program in behavioral medicine for chronic pain patients based on the practice of mindfulness meditation: theoretical considerations and preliminary results. General Hospital Psychiatry, 4, 33–47.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. New York: Delacorte.
Linehan, M. (1992). Behavior therapy, dialects, and the treatment of borderline personality disorder. In Rosenbluth & Silver (Eds.), Handbook of borderline disorders (pp. 415–434). Madison, CT: International University Press.
Lyubomirsky, S., & Tkach, C. (2004). The consequences of dysphoric rumination. In C. Papageorgiou, & A. Wells (Eds.), Depressive rumination: Nature, theory, and treatment. NY: Wiley.
Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Morrow, J. (1993). Effects of rumination and distraction on naturally occurring depressed mood. Cognition and Emotion, 7, 561–570.
Purdon, C. (1999). Thought suppression and psychopathology. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 37, 1029–1054.
Rassin, E. (2003). The white bear suppression inventory focuses on failing suppression attempts. European Journal of Personality, 17, 285–298.
Reynolds, M., & Wells, A. (1999). The thought control questionnaire—psychometric properties in a clinical sample, and relationships with PTSD and depression. Psychological Medicine, 29, 1089–1099.
Riley, J., & Robinson, M. (1997). CSQ: five factors or fiction? The Clinical Journal of Pain, 13, 156–162.
Robins, C. J., & Chapman, A. L. (2004). Dialectical behavior therapy: current status, recent developments, and future directions. Journal of Personality Disorders, 18, 73–89.
Ryff, C. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 1069–1081.
Salovey, P., Mayer, J. D., Goldman, S. L., Turvey, C., & Palfai, T. P. (1995). Emotional attention, clarity, and emotional repair: Exploring emotional intelligence using the Trait Meta-Mood Scale. In J. W. Pennebaker (Ed.), Emotion, Disclosure, & Health (pp. 125–151). Washington: American Psychological Association.
Santavirta, N., Bjorvell, H., Solovieva, A., Alaranta, H., Hurskainen, K., & Konttinen, Y. (2001). Coping strategies, pain and disability in patients with hemophilia and related disorders. Arthritis Care and Research, 45, 48–55.
Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M. G., & Teasdale, J. D. (2002). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression: A new approach to preventing relapse. New York: Guilford.
Snyder, L., & Lopez, S. (2002). Handbook of positive psychology. NY: Oxford University Press.
Teasdale, J. D., Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M. G., Ridgeway, V., Soulsby, J., & Lau, M. A. (2000). Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 615–623.
Watson, D., Clark, L., & Tellegan, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: the PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 1063–1070.
Wegner, D., & Zanakos, S. (1994). Chronic thought suppression. Journal of Personality, 62, 615–640.
Wegner, D., Schneider, D., Carter, S., & White, T. (1987). Paradoxical effects of thought suppression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53, 5–13.
Wells, A., & Davies, M. (1994). The thought control questionnaire: a measure of individual differences in the control of unwanted thoughts. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 32, 871–878.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sauer, S.E., Baer, R.A. Responding to Negative Internal Experience: Relationships Between Acceptance and Change-Based Approaches and Psychological Adjustment. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 31, 378–386 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-009-9127-3
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-009-9127-3