Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II)
How much do your thoughts and feelings get in the way?
A 7-item scale that measures psychological inflexibility — how much you struggle to stay with uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, and whether that struggle keeps you from living the life you want. About 3 minutes.
What Is the AAQ-II?
You know that feeling when an uncomfortable thought pops up — and you try to push it away? Or when anxiety shows up and you tell yourself to stop feeling it — only to feel it more?
That's what the AAQ-II measures: how much you struggle against your own inner experiences. Psychologists call this experiential avoidance, and it's a core idea in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Seven questions, about 3 minutes. The higher your score, the more your thoughts and feelings tend to steer you away from what matters.
Who Uses It
The AAQ-II is the most widely used process measure in ACT research, translated into 20+ languages. Clinicians use it to track how psychological flexibility changes over the course of therapy.
The Chinese version (Cao et al., 2013) showed good internal consistency (alpha=0.88) and two-week test-retest reliability (0.80) in a college sample.
Score Interpretation
Scores range from 7 to 49:
- 7–16: High flexibility — you can sit with discomfort without letting it run the show
- 17–24: Moderate flexibility — mostly fine, but some situations still get you stuck
- 25–32: Moderate inflexibility — painful thoughts get in the way more than you'd like
- 33–49: High inflexibility — a lot of energy goes into avoiding inner discomfort
A Note
This scale measures a pattern, not a diagnosis. And the good news: psychological flexibility can be trained. ACT and mindfulness practices both help.
Disclaimer: This screening tool is not a substitute for clinical diagnosis. If you are concerned about your mental health, please talk to a professional.
Scoring Guide
Sum all 7 items (no reverse scoring). Range: 7-49. Higher scores indicate greater psychological inflexibility/experiential avoidance. Note: The discriminant validity of AAQ-II has been debated in recent literature; interpret results alongside clinical judgment.Result Interpretation
After completing the 7 questions, you'll receive an immediate, detailed report with:
- Your score — calculated automatically based on your responses
- Score interpretation — what your score means in practical terms
- Context — how your results compare to general population norms where available
All results are displayed on screen. No account or login needed.