ADD INFO DEFINING ACT
Contextual Behavioral Science
This research lab is deeply rooted in Contextual Behavioral Science, a specific approach to science that has recently been explicated by researchers involved in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Relational Frame Theory, and related behavioral approaches.
CBS can be defined technically as:
CBS can be defined technically as:
"a principle-focused, communitarian strategy of reticulated scientific and practical development. Grounded in contextualistic philosophical assumptions, and nested within multi-dimensional, multi-level evolution science as a contextual view of life, it seeks the development of basic and applied scientific concepts and methods that are useful in predicting-and-influencing the contextually embedded actions of whole organisms, individually and in groups, with precision, scope, and depth; and extends that approach into knowledge development itself so as to create a behavioral science more adequate to the challenges of the human condition." (Hayes, Barnes-Holmes & Wilson, 2012, p. 2).
Our research laboratory embraces this approach, which can be seen in our focus on:
The Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) is a professional organization representing this approach. The ACBS website includes a variety of resources for learning more about CBS: https://contextualscience.org/
Also, if you are interested in learning more about the CBS foundation for the lab, we encourage you to read any or all of the following publications:
- Manipulable, contextual variables in scientific analyses and the variables that govern behavior-behavior relations (e.g., anxiety and avoidance, depression and withdrawal, etc...)
- Psychological variables that can be influenced to produce meaningful change
- Mechanisms of change and components of psychological treatments
- Transdiagnostic interventions focused on the broader function rather than the specific form of psychological problems
- Pragmatic issues for treatment development, testing and implementation
- Translation of basic behavioral principles into applied theoretical models and interventions
The Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) is a professional organization representing this approach. The ACBS website includes a variety of resources for learning more about CBS: https://contextualscience.org/
Also, if you are interested in learning more about the CBS foundation for the lab, we encourage you to read any or all of the following publications:
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Levin, M.E., Twohig, M.P. & Smith, B.M. (2016). Contextual Behavioral Science: An overview. In R.D. Zettle, S.C. Hayes, D. Barnes-Holmes, A. Biglan (Eds.) The Wiley Handbook of Contextual Behavioral Science (pp. 17-36). Wiley-Blackwell.
Hayes, S. C., Barnes-Holmes, D., & Wilson, K. G. (2012). Contextual Behavioral Science: Creating a science more adequate to the challenge of the human condition. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 1, 1–16. Hayes, S.C., Levin, M.E., Plumb, J., Boulanger, J. & Pistorello, J. (2013). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Contextual Behavioral Science: Examining the progress of a distinctive model of behavioral and cognitive therapy. Behavior Therapy, 44, 180–198. Hayes, S.C., Long, D.M., Levin, M.E. & Follette, W.C. (2013). Treatment development alternatives: Can we find a better way? Clinical Psychology Review, 33, 870-882. Levin, M.E. & Hayes, S.C. (2010). Mindfulness and Acceptance: The Perspective of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. In J.D. Herbert & E. Forman (Eds.), Acceptance and Mindfulness in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (pp. 291-316). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Vilardaga, R., Hayes, S. C., Levin, M.E. & Muto, T. (2009). Creating a strategy for progress: A contextual behavioral science approach. The Behavior Analyst, 32(1), 105-133. |
