Experiential Avoidance has been conceptualized as an unwillingness to sustain engagement with unwanted negatively valenced internal states and has been strongly associated with a range of psychological symptoms. However, it remains unclear whether and how experiential avoidance may be associated with the experience of positive affect/anhedonia. Anhedonia has been associated with impairments in reward system functioning (e.g., anticipatory and consummatory reward responsivity). Initial research suggests that experiential avoidance may diminish hedonic responses to experienced rewards, perhaps leading to global decrements in positive affect. This study investigated associations between experiential avoidance, positive affect, anhedonia, and reward responsiveness using a baseline questionnaire packet and a one-week experience sampling paradigm. 157 undergraduate students completed baseline questionnaires assessing trait experiential avoidance, depression, anxiety, positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), and anhedonic symptoms. Participants then completed experience sampling questionnaires assessing anticipatory (RRA) and consummatory (RRC) reward responsivity, NA, PA, and state experiential avoidance. Trait experiential avoidance predicted increased levels of NA, decreased levels of PA, and decreased RRA and RRC across the week. Increases in state experiential avoidance were associated with increases in NA as well as decreases in PA and RRC throughout the week. Findings demonstrate significant associations between experiential avoidance and both NA and PA, supporting experiential avoidance as a potential construct of clinical significance for disorders marked by low PA. Results also generally support a relationship between experiential avoidance and reward responsivity, specifically with RRC. Future research is needed to examine the mechanisms through which these associations occur.

体验性回避被概念化为不愿意持续参与不想要的负价内部状态，并且与一系列心理症状密切相关。然而，目前尚不清楚体验性回避是否以及如何与积极情感/快感缺失的体验相关。快感缺失与奖励系统功能障碍（例如，预期和完成性奖励反应）有关。初步研究表明，体验性回避可能会减少对体验性奖励的享乐反应，可能导致整体积极情绪的减少。本研究使用基线调查问卷包和一周的体验抽样范式调查了体验性回避、积极情感、快感缺乏和奖励反应之间的关联。157 名本科生完成了基线调查问卷，评估特质体验性回避、抑郁、焦虑、积极情感 (PA)、消极情感 (NA) 和快感缺乏症状。然后，参与者完成了体验抽样调查问卷，评估预期（RRA）和完成（RRC）奖励响应性、NA、PA 和状态体验性回避。特质经验性回避预测一周内 NA 水平升高、PA 水平降低、RRA 和 RRC 降低。状态体验性回避的增加与整周 NA 的增加以及 PA 和 RRC 的减少相关。研究结果表明，体验性回避与 NA 和 PA 之间存在显着关联，支持体验性回避作为对以低 PA 为标志的疾病具有临床意义的潜在构建。结果通常还支持体验性回避和奖励响应之间的关系，特别是与 RRC 之间的关系。未来的研究需要检验这些关联发生的机制。