Demand Avoidance Test (EDA-QA)

Pathological demand avoidance (PDA), often described today as a pervasive drive for autonomy, was first identified in the 1980s by the British psychologist Elizabeth Newson. Newson recognized a distinct profile among children who resisted everyday expectations not out of defiance, but from an overwhelming, anxiety-led urge to retain control. In 2014, Elizabeth O'Nions and colleagues created a questionnaire to assess these traits in youth. Recognizing that these characteristics persist into adulthood, Vincent Egan and Omer Linenberg at the University of Nottingham joined O'Nions in 2019 to adapt the tool into the Extreme Demand Avoidance Questionnaire for adults (EDA-QA).

The EDA-QA assesses a singular construct: demand avoidance traits. In everyday life, this profile is characterized by an instinctive need to resist ordinary demands, expectations, and requests, including essential routines or activities the person genuinely wishes to pursue. Individuals who experience this pattern often navigate demands using subtle social strategies, such as distraction, negotiation, or fabricating excuses. They may also experience rapid shifts in mood, feel intense discomfort with praise, find relief in immersive fantasy or role play, and experience severe overwhelm or meltdowns when their autonomy feels compromised. Rather than deliberate obstinacy, this resistance is rooted in nervous system threat responses and a deep need for self-determination.

In the validation research published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, the 26-item EDA-QA demonstrated exceptional internal reliability, with an alpha coefficient of .94. Factor analyses confirmed that the questionnaire primarily evaluates one overarching trait dimension, complemented by a smaller cluster of items reflecting role play and fantasy. The researchers found that higher scores were positively correlated with higher autistic traits, greater emotional instability, negative emotion, and disinhibition. Furthermore, self-reported scores aligned closely with informant ratings provided by people who knew the participants well, supporting the scale's accuracy in capturing identifiable behavioral patterns.

Scientific discussion regarding demand avoidance remains ongoing. PDA is not currently recognized as an independent clinical diagnosis within diagnostic manuals such as the DSM-5 or ICD-11. Researchers and clinicians continue to study whether it represents a specific profile within autism, an overlapping manifestation of anxiety, or an interplay of broader personality traits. Because of this, your results are framed strictly as a dimensional trait profile rather than a categorical label. The score simply describes where you fall along a spectrum, reflecting the prevalence and intensity of demand-avoidant patterns in your personal life.

The comparison marker visible on your results chart is an estimate based on the mean score documented in the 2019 validation study, rescaled to a 0 to 100 scale. That study surveyed 347 adults recruited partly through neurodivergent communities, with approximately one quarter self-identifying with the PDA profile. Consequently, the marker provides a descriptive benchmark against that specific research cohort rather than a general-population percentile norm. It offers context for how your score compares to a studied group, not an absolute standard of average behavior.

This test is provided for educational and self-exploratory purposes only and is not a clinical or diagnostic tool. A higher score does not mean you have a disorder; rather, it suggests you recognize strong demand-avoidant tendencies in yourself. This test is based on the EDA-QA but is not affiliated with Egan, Linenberg, O'Nions, or their institutions. If demand avoidance causes distress in your life, resources like the PDA Society can offer practical insights, and you may consider speaking with a mental health professional experienced in adult neurodivergence.

References

• Egan, V., Linenberg, O., & O’Nions, E. (2018). The Measurement of Adult Pathological Demand Avoidance Traits. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(2), 481-494.

Frequently Asked Questions

Take Test