The mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty in the relationship between psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance in teachers

This study aims to examine the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty in the relationship between psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance among teachers. A correlational research desing, one of the quantitative research methods, was employed as the research methodology. The data were collected using the convenience sampling method. The study group consisted of a total of 415 teachers working in Turkey, including 220 women (53.0 %) and 195 men (47.0 %), aged between 23 and 68.In the study, teachers' levels of experiential avoidance were measures using the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire-30 (MEAQ-30), psychological inflexibility was assessed using the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire- II (AAQ-II), and intolerance of uncertainty was measured using the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS-12). Demographic information related to the study group was obtained through a Personal Information Form. In line with the research hypotheses, the data were analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis, independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and mediation analysis. The mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty in the relationship between psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance was tested using bootstrap technique via the SPSS PROCESS macro (Hayes). As a result of the study, significant positive relationships were found between teachers' levels of psychological inflexibility, experiential avoidance, and intolerance of uncertainty. The analysis of the mediation model revealed that intolerance of uncertainty has a partial mediating role in the relationship between psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance. The Independent Samples t Test analyses revealed no statistically significant differences in psychological inflexibility, intolerance of uncertainty, or experiential avoidance with respect to gender. In contrast, psychological inflexibility differed significantly by marital status, whereas intolerance of uncertainty and experiential avoidance total scores did not exhibit significant differences across marital status groups. Based on the perceived financial gain/income adequacy derived from the teaching profession, the scores for psychological inflexibility and intolerance of uncertainty were found to differ at statistically significant levels, whereas the total score for experiential avoidance did not show a significant difference. According to the results of the One-Way ANOVA, psychological significantly differed acrossage groups, while intolerance of uncertainty and experiential avoidance total scores did not exhibit any statistically significant differences. The findings of the study were discussed based on the relevant literature.