Reliability and Validity Study of the Turkish Version of the Brief Social Anxiety-Acceptance and Action Questionnaire

Objective: Experiential avoidance is closely related to social anxiety, which is a condition characterized by intense fear in social situations, including social interactions and performing in front of others.
Material and Methods: The sample of this study consisted of 113 people. The data were obtained using a demographic form, Brief Social Anxiety-Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (B-SA-AAQ), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), and hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS). Internal consistency and item-total correlation were evaluated with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the factor structure. Temporal stability was assessed using the test-retest method.
Results: The Turkish adaptation of the B-SA-AAQ was found to have good internal consistency with a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.899. CFA indicated a two-factor structure with acceptable fit indices [χ2: 22.8, degrees of freedom: 13; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA): 0.0817; RMSEA 90% confidence interval (CI) lower bond: 0.013, RMSEA 90% CI upper bond: 0.136, CFI: 0.978; Tucker-Lewis index: 0.965)]. The B-SA-AAQ and its subscales were significantly correlated with the AAQ-II and HADS (p<0.05). The results of the test-retest correlation analysis indicated temporal stability.
Conclusion: Therefore, the B-SA-AAQ is a reliable and valid scale for measuring experiential avoidance and psychological flexibility in the context of social anxiety.