Validation of the Approach-Avoidance Temperament Questionnaire in Individuals with Anxiety and Depression

Abstract

The Approach-Avoidance Temperament Questionnaire (ATQ) is a well-established measure assessing heightened sensitivity and reactivity to reward/positive stimuli (approach temperament) and to punishment/negative stimuli (avoidance temperament). These basic dimensions of personality are believed to be important for understanding the etiology and maintenance of anxiety and depressive disorders. Despite the ATQ’s potential utility in clinical psychology research, its psychometric properties and factor structure have yet to be examined in a psychiatric sample. The aims of the present study were to 1) conduct confirmatory factor analysis to replicate the ATQ’s factor structure in individuals diagnosed with an anxiety or depressive disorder (N = 244), 2) assess internal consistency and convergent and divergent validity, and 3) explore differences in approach and avoidance temperaments in individuals with versus without a diagnosis of anxiety or depression. Results confirmed the original two-factor structure of the ATQ in a clinical sample, with approach and avoidance temperaments representing orthogonal dimensions. The measure demonstrated strong internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity, and predictive validity. Individuals with anxiety and depression scored higher on avoidance items and lower on approach items compared to those without clinical diagnoses. This study supports the use of the ATQ in clinical populations.

Declaration of interest

Charles T. Taylor declares that in the past 3 years he has been a paid consultant for Bionomics and has received payment for editorial work for UpToDate, Inc. and the journal Depression and Anxiety. Madeleine Rassaby declares no conflicts of interest. Jeffrey M Rogers declares no conflicts of interest.

All procedures performed involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the University of California San Diego Human Research Protection Program and with the Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki).

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, CT, upon reasonable request.

Funding

This research was supported by grants awarded to Charles T. Taylor from the National Institute of Mental Health (R00MH090243, R61MH113769, R33MH113769), Brain and Behavior Foundation (21695), and the University of California, San Diego, National Institute of Health Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program Grant UL1TR001442.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by grants awarded to Charles T. Taylor from the National Institute of Mental Health (R00MH090243, R61MH113769, R33MH113769), Brain and Behavior Foundation (21695), and the University of California, San Diego, National Institute of Health Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program Grant UL1TR001442.