LAUSR

A common form of emotion regulation is avoidance, in which attention toward negative stimuli results in avoiding (Elliot, 2006). Dysfunctional avoidance is linked to negative outcomes in various forms of psychopathology (Kashdan, Barrios, Forsyth, & Steger, 2006). Sleep challenges have been identified as a mechanism in numerous mental health disorders (Kryger, Roth, & Dement, 2017). These two mechanisms may be related. We hypothesized sleep deprived individuals would demonstrate more avoidance compared to baseline and a sleep as usual group as indexed by lower scores on a behavioral approach task (BAT) and more self-reported avoidance. Fifty-two undergraduates (mean age: 18.87, white: 45, female: 35) without mental health disorders, sleep apnea symptoms, or use of medications that may impact sleep or wakefulness were recruited. Participants completed a Cognitive-Behavioral Avoidance Scale (CBAS modified) in which all questions were modified to elucidate present moment avoidance (ex. I would avoid attending social activities) and a BAT in which they were presented with a bedpan made to look and smell dirty. They were asked to complete seven hierarchical levels of engagement ex. (1) touching it with a tissue, (7) touching it with both hands then touching your face. The task ended when a participant declined to complete a step or they completed all seven. They were randomly assigned to 26 hours of sleep deprivation or sleep as usual. Students completed the CBAS modified and the BAT the next morning. After conducting a mixed ANOVA, there were no significant differences between or within groups in BAT steps completed. There were significant increases in self-reported behavioral social (p < .001) and nonsocial (p < .001), and cognitive nonsocial (p = .006), and social (p = .031) avoidance in the sleep deprivation group. The study demonstrated a discrepancy between behavioral and self-report avoidance, suggesting a response bias after sleep loss. This investigation illuminates the effects of sleep loss on the transdiagnostic mechanism, avoidance. Note, there are no psychometric data for the modified CBAS. Future work should examine social forms of behavioral avoidance. This study was conducted using the University of Arkansas SONA system.