Background
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.
Procedure
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
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.
Scoring & Interpretation
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
Extreme Demand Avoidance Questionnaire (EDAQ) Questionnaire
Below is the Extreme Demand Avoidance Questionnaire (EDAQ), a digitally adapted 24- items self-assessment questionnaire.