Effects of Experiential Avoidance on Stress Responses in Speech-Making Situations

Abstract

The present studies examined effects of experiential avoidance on stress responses in speech-making situations. In Study 1, the participants (146 undergraduates; 61 men, 85 women) completed the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Japanese version (AAQ-J), which measures experiential avoidance. Then, they were asked to imagine a neutral scene and a speech scene, and to rate their own mood regarding each scene. The results revealed a significant relationship between the scores on the AAQ-J and negative mood when imagining the speech scene. In Study 2, participants (18 undergraduates; 10 men, 8 women) with high speech anxiety as assessed by the Audience Anxiety Scale were assigned either to an acceptance-based instruction group or to a control group. Each participant was exposed to baseline and treatment speech sessions. Before each treatment speech session, participants in the acceptance-based instruction group received instructions aimed at encouraging them to use acceptance strategies, whereas those in the control group did not receive any instructions. The results suggested that the acceptance-based instructions were effective in reducing subjective speech anxiety. The results were discussed in terms of their possible implications for a relationship between experiential avoidance and stress responses. Also, future directions for research and clinical interventions for experiential avoidance were described.