The relationship between experiential avoidance and autism spectrum traits with hoarding behaviors with mediating role of saving cognitions

Hoarding disorder is a complex and not well-understood psychological state that affects millions of people worldwide.
The purpose of this study was to examining the relationship between experimental avoidance and autism spectrum traits and hoarding behaviors with the mediating role of hoarding cognitions.
The present study was descriptive of correlational type and the statistical society of this study was all students of Birjand Azad University in the academic year of  2016-17. The sample consisted of 369 people who were selected by random cluster sampling and completed the Saving Inventory-Revised, hoarding cognitions questionnaire, experiential avoidance questionnaire and autism spectrum quotient.
The findings of the study showed that experiential avoidance has a positive and significant relationship with aspects of hoarding, while the autism spectrum traits have no relationship with the cognitive and behavioral aspects of hoarding. In addition, a finding on mediating role showed that in the proposed model, only the experiential avoidance has a mediator role.
The findings of the study supported hoarding cognitive- behavioral models and suggested that experiential avoidance and hoarding cognitions play important roles in the growth and maintenance of the problems associated with hoarding.