ACT in Practice:
Sample Lesson Material
Part 1/Module 1: Psychological Flexibility as the aim of ACT
Lesson 1: The importance of psychological flexibility as a repertoire
The only constant in life is change.
—Heraclitus
We all encounter difficulty and uncertainty throughout our lives - from taking our first tumble as a baby, to studying subjects we struggle with at school, not getting a job we hope for, worrying about money or other basic needs, navigating heartbreak, grief and loss, and all the other kinds of adversity and suffering that make up the rich tapestry of human experience. Why is it though that some individuals appear to weather challenges better than others? What makes someone resilient? How do some people continue to thrive (and even find ways to cultivate joy!) through adversity?
While change and uncertainty are an inevitable part of life, human beings can learn to respond in flexible ways that move them through challenges, as opposed to being buried under them. It is clear that individuals who exhibit greater behavioral flexibility are more likely to adapt and thrive in the face of changing circumstances—they’re more likely to survive in a constantly changing world (Skinner, 1981a).
Individuals with a diverse, flexible repertoire are more likely to demonstrate (e.g., Follette et al., 1993; Rodriquez & Thompson, 2015):
Increased sensitivity to changing contingencies
Contact with a broad range of reinforcers
More effective problem-solving and creativity
Improved social development and social success
Improved skill acquisition or learning
Psychological Flexibility is “…the ability to flexibly interact with (i.e., ‘language about’) our experiences, in context-sensitive ways that help us connect with meaning and purpose, and thus promote resilience, even in adverse contexts” (Ming et al., 2023). As behavior analysts, the term 'psychological' simply refers to repertoires of verbal behavior or language, including rule-governed behavior and derived relational responding. The ability to navigate challenges flexibly, even when difficult private events (thoughts, emotions, urges or sensations) are present appears to be fundamental to human health and well-being (Kashdan et al., 2010). Evelyn explores the concept of psychological flexibility and what it has to offer a little more in the next short video.
Psychological flexibility is thus the primary target and intended outcome of language-based, contextual behavioral treatment approaches, including ACT. In addition to promoting mental health and well-being, psychological flexibility appears to underpin many important aspects of human culture, such as what we refer to as “innovation”, “creativity”, “problem-solving”, “entrepreneurship” and “intelligence”. All of these phenomena involve the ability to respond flexibly to changing circumstances and challenges, generating new behaviors that move us toward desired outcomes. Psychological Flexibility is therefore not only the primary target of ACT— psychological flexibility is a fundamental aspect of human functioning and lies at the heart of best outcomes in ABA.
Our goal as behavior analysts is to empower clients who are suffering (whether that be individuals or groups) to "do something different" - that is, meet challenges in new and different ways, with flexibility, 'doing what works' even in very difficult circumstances. A key feature of resilience from this perspective is change - the person is not just 'snapping back into shape' or staying the same through changing circumstances - resilience involves transformation - learning and growth. We expand further on psychological flexibility as the guiding principle and aim of ACT and ABA in the next lesson.