Triangling, Anxiety, and Negative Self-Image: The Mediating Role of Experiential Avoidance

The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating role of experiential avoidance in relationships between triangling configurations (balanced, mediator, cross-generational coalition, scapegoating), anxiety, and negative self-image (NS). The study sample comprised 381 university students. Data were collected from these participants using the Triangular Relationship Inventory (TRI), the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), the Negative Self and Anxiety Subscales of Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and a demographic information form. Findings of the structural equation modelling analyses revealed that triangling configurations and experiential avoidance (together) explained 36% of the variance in negative self and 44% of the variance in anxiety. Regarding indirect effects, it was found that experiential avoidance fully mediated the relationships between triangling configurations (except scapegoating), NS, and anxiety. The mediator type of triangling was found to play a protective role against NS and anxiety—the literature delineates the study findings.