The measurement of adult pathological demand avoidance traits

Egan, Vincent; Linenberg, Omer; O’Nions, Elizabeth

Abstract

Pathological (“extreme”) demand avoidance (PDA) involves obsessively avoiding routine demands and extreme emotional variability. It is clinically linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The observer-rated EDA Questionnaire (EDA-Q) for children was adapted as an adult self-report (EDA-QA), and tested in relation to personality and the short-form Autism Screening Questionnaire (ASQ). Study 1 (n = 347) found the EDA-QA reliable, univariate, and correlated with negative affect, antagonism, disinhibition, psychoticism, and ASQ scores. Study 2 (n = 191) found low agreeableness, greater Emotional Instability, and higher scores on the full ASQ predicted EDA-QA. PDA can screened for using this tool, occurs in the general population, and is associated with extremes of personality. Future studies will examine if PDA occurs in other clinical populations.

Citation

Egan, V., Linenberg, O., & O’Nions, E. (2018). The measurement of adult pathological demand avoidance traits. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3722-7

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 13, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Aug 23, 2018
• Publication Date: Aug 23, 2018
• Deposit Date: Aug 31, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 31, 2018
• Journal: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
• Print ISSN: 0162-3257
• Electronic ISSN: 1573-3432
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3722-7
• Keywords: Extreme demand avoidance; Autistic spectrum disorder; Pathological demand avoidance; Personality; Offending; Asperger’s syndrome
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1055499
• Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10803-018-3722-7