Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science 17 (2020) 46–54 Available online 6 July 2020 2212-1447/© 2020 Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Original Article Persian adaptation of avoidance and fusion questionnaire for youth (AFQ-Y): A preliminary examination of its psychometric properties Issa Hekmati a, * , Hamed Abdollahpour Ranjbar b , Rasoul HajiSaghati c a University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran b Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran c Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran A R T I C L E INFO Keywords: Psychological infexibility Cognitive fusion Experiential avoidance Adolescents ABSTRACT The Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) literature suggests that psychological infexibility (PI) is associated with an elevated risk of the development and exacerbation of mental health problems. PI is likely to play a role in the development and maintenance of psychological problems among adolescents, but there is only one valid measure of PI for children and adolescents: Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth (AFQ-Y). This measure has been translated into other languages and validated across different cultures, but it has not yet been validated using Iranian samples. Thus, the present study is the frst to have examined the psychometric properties of the Persian adaptation of the AFQ-Y and its shorter version (AFQ-Y8). A total of 400 students, 12–18-year-old, were recruited from schools in Mashhad. A multimethod approach was adopted, and the following psychometric properties of the AFQ-Y were examined: internal consistency, test-retest reliability, dimensionality, and concurrent, convergent, and discriminant validity. The participants completed the AFQ-Y, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ), and Depression Anx- iety Stress Scales (DASS-21). The ft indices indicated that the one-factor model of the short form (AFQ-Y8) was a good ft for the data and the one-factor model of the long form had to be modifed in order to achieve a good ft. The moderate path coeffcients of scores on AFQ-Y (short and long forms) on depression, anxiety, and stress were indicative of adequate concurrent validity. Further, both the short and long forms of the AFQ-Y were signifcantly correlated with the AAQ-II and CFQ; thus, both forms demonstrated satisfactory convergent validity. The Fornell- Larcker criterion was fulflled; further, the items loaded onto their intended factors more strongly than they loaded onto other factors (i.e., cross-loadings). With regard to reliability, both forms were found to have high internal consistency (i.e., Cronbach’s alphas) and temporal stability (i.e., test-retest reliability). The fndings suggest that the long and short forms of the AFQ-Y have adequate psychometric properties to justify their use with Persian adolescents. However, the short form demonstrated better construct validity, whereas the long form demonstrated better reliability. 1. Introduction Grounded in an empirical, principle-focused approach, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a contemporary psychotherapy that has found its niche within third wave behavior therapies (Hayes, 2004). It focuses on principles such as acceptance, mindfulness, defusion, and values (Hayes, Barnes-Holmes, & Wilson, 2012). It is founded upon the pragmatic philosophy of Functional Contextualism (Biglan & Hayes, 1996) and Relational Frame Theory (Barnes-Holmes & Roche, 2001). ACT aims to promote psychological fexibility by helping individuals immerse themselves in the present moment and modify (or continue to engage in) their behaviors in accordance with their valued goals (Hayes, Luoma, Bond, Masuda, & Lillis, 2006; Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 2011). Conversely, psychological infexibility (PI) is a primary source of psy- chopathology and human suffering (Hayes et al., 2006). PI entails the dominance of psychological events over chosen values and contin- gencies. Specifcally, it refers to the dominant role of thoughts, emo- tions, and feelings over contingencies in the determination of value-directed actions (Bond et al., 2011), and it can adversely impact psychological well-being and worsen psychological disturbances * Corresponding author. Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran. E-mail addresses: Hekmati.Issa@gmail.com, Hekmati.Issa@gmail.com (I. Hekmati), Hamed.a.ranjbar@gmail.com (H.A. Ranjbar), r.hajisaghati@gmail.com (R. HajiSaghati). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jcbs https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2020.05.004 Received 30 July 2019; Received in revised form 30 March 2020; Accepted 22 May 2020