Extreme Demand Avoidance Questionnaire (EDAQ)

Pathological Demand Avoidance self-test has been adapted from the Extreme Demand Avoidance Questionnaire (EDA-Q), a 24-item questionnaire originally developed to measure behaviors associated with Extreme or Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). EDA-Q is not designed to provide a diagnosis and this self-assessment questionnaire should not be considered a diagnostic tool. EDA-24 can help identify patterns of behavior associated with demand avoidance traits, but PDA characteristics often overlap with anxiety, oppositional behavior, and autism-related traits.

PDA was first proposed by British psychologist Elizabeth Newson during the 1980s. She observed a group of children who displayed autism-like characteristics while also showing an unusual pattern of resisting everyday demands. Subsequent research by Francesca Happé, Essi Viding, and Liz O'Nions expanded understanding of these traits and contributed to the development of the Extreme Demand Avoidance Questionnaire (EDA-Q).

The original EDA-Q was developed as a parent-report questionnaire, allowing caregivers to observe and report behaviors associated with demand avoidance. More recently, there has been increasing interest in self-report screening tools capable of examining demand avoidance traits across a broader spectrum of individuals. The EDA-24 adopts this approach and is designed to evaluate demand avoidance tendencies through self-report responses.

The assessment consists of 24 statements and typically requires 5–6 minutes to complete. Participants indicate how often each statement applies to them using a four-point response scale ranging from Never to Always.

Participation in this self-assessment is completely anonymous. No personal information is collected or stored. Results are intended solely for educational and self-reflection purposes and should not be interpreted as a diagnosis of Pathological Demand Avoidance, Autism Spectrum Disorder, or any mental health condition.

The EDA-24 measures six dimensions:

Resistance
Reactivity
Control
Anxiety
Social Influence
Imagination

Higher scores indicate stronger expression of the corresponding demand avoidance characteristic.

Trait Score Interpretation:

0–4 = Low
5–8 = Moderate
9–12 = High
13–16 = Very High

Overall Score Interpretation:

0–32 = Low PDA Likelihood
33–64 = Moderate PDA Likelihood
65–96 = High PDA Likelihood

I feel angry or sad if I can't avoid something.

I run away or hide to avoid things.

I act silly or wild to get out of tasks.

I make excuses to avoid things.

I want to make the rules.

I shout or scream when I feel forced.

I break rules when I don't want to do something.

I get upset if I can't choose.

I try to make others do things for me.

I think about bad things that might happen if I try.

I daydream instead of doing things.

I like to be the one in charge.

I want things my way.

I like being around people who do the hard parts.

I pretend I don't know what to do.

I worry when I have to do something.

I prefer doing things only if others are doing them too.

I act friendly so people let me skip tasks.

I don't like doing what people tell me.

I ignore people when they ask me to do something.

I pretend to be busy with something else.

I act like I'm doing something important so I'm not asked.

I panic when things are too hard.

I get lost in my imagination when I should be working.