Value-guided action: Within-day and lagged relations of experiential avoidance, mindful awareness, and cognitive fusion in a non-clinical sample

Experiential avoidance (EA), cognitive fusion (CF), and lack of present-moment awareness contribute to the development and maintenance of various forms of psychopathology, principally through their negative impact on value-guided action. However, little research has examined these behavioral processes at the daily level and, as such, the temporal association of each process on the others and daily value-guided action is unclear. This study evaluated the relations of daily EA, CF, mindful awareness, and self-reported value-guided action in a nonclinical sample (n = 104) who participated in a 16-day mindfulness meditation study. Results indicated high EA was associated with low engagement, whereas high mindful awareness was related to high engagement, in same-day value-guided behavior. Time-lagged analysis showed that high EA predicted high next-day CF, and high CF predicted reduced next-day mindful awareness. Results illuminate temporal relations within the psychological flexibility model and identify processes that may be amenable to influence and change in the clinical setting.