Psychometric Properties and Measurement Invariance of the Work-Related Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (WAAQ) in a Colombian Sample

According to the International Labor Organization (2016), research indicates that high levels of job stress contribute to the development of health-related problems, including psychological disorders (e.g., burnout or affective and anxiety disorders) and physical conditions (e.g., cardiovascular diseases and musculoskeletal disorders). Specifically, inappropriate avoidant coping behaviors such as alcohol and drug abuse, smoking, unhealthy eating, and lack of sleep might worsen the situation. [...]psychological interventions can contribute to reducing stress-related problems at work by fostering more appropriate coping strategies. Contrarily, psychological flexibility can be defined as the skill of discriminating ongoing private experiences from a nonjudgmental observational perspective and orienting behavior toward valued ends (Hayes & Strosahl, 2005). [...]flexible responding when facing job stressors involves (a) observing the private events that surface as a momentary experience from the perspective of a transcendent self, (b) symbolically contacting the short- and long-term consequences of available behavioral options (e.g., behaving under the control of the aversive functions of private events or engaging in behavior connected to meaningful and valued directions), and (c) choosing to behave according to the most valued consequences. [...]there is no evidence to date regarding the measurement invariance of the WAAQ sociodemographic variables (e.g., gender, age, and socioeconomic status) and the hierarchical level within the organization.