Association for Behavior Analysis International

Psychological flexibility is a central mechanism of change for therapeutic techniques that emphasize the relationship between human language and psychological suffering. Psychological flexibility can be described as persistence with or changing of behavior, in accordance with values-based contingencies, while contacting all stimuli, both public and private, in the present environment (e.g. Bond, Hayes, & Barnes-Holmes, 2006). In the context of Acceptance Commitment Therapy or Training, interventions are designed to increase this flexibility among individuals, including children with behavioral needs, and methods of assessment are necessary to examine the effects of such treatments. First, we examine the relationship between self-reports of psychological flexibility and language ability for a sample of children with and without autism and discuss the implications of this data in terms of treatment. Then, we explore psychological flexibility assessment measures currently available specifically for children, and relationship of these, such as the Children’s Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire, to other common measures of child behavior. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of possible future directions in the assessment of children’s psychological flexibility.

The current investigation evaluated the relationship between complex Derived Relational Responding and psychological flexibility in individuals of various ages diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) or a related developmental disability. The Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge (PEAK) Relational Training System Transformation pre-assessment was used to measure Derived Relational Responding while psychological flexibility was measured using the Children’s Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire (CPFQ) which was reported by participants themselves and their caregivers. As data collection is still in the early stages and complete statistical analyses cannot yet be conducted, preliminary data suggests a relationship between the PEAK-T and CPFQ: Child and CPFQ: Caregiver assessments. Specifically, with a strong relationship between the PEAK-T and CPFQ: Caregiver assessment. These findings suggest that increased derived relational responding likely results in improved psychological flexibility as reported by the child and their caregiver which suggests a clinical utility in improving relational responding in individuals with ASD.

Body image involves the experience of one’s body, and body image disturbance occurs when one’s experience of body image is particularly painful and disruptive to daily living. Body image flexibility seems to be an important component for reducing body image disturbance. In recent years, there has been an increase in the interest of using self-help manuals as an alternative to interpersonal therapy for treating body image disturbance. The presented study aimed to help individuals struggling with their body image utilizing a self-help book based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Participants who reported body image disturbance during prescreen evaluations were invited to partake in an eight-week self-help program designed to increase body-image flexibility and reduce maladaptive body-image coping strategies. Changes in target behaviors were assessed via self-report data collected online at five different intervals: 1) prescreening (baseline); 2) midway through the readings (week 4); 3) upon completion of the readings (week 8); 4) 4-week follow-up (week 12); 5) 16-week follow-up (week 24). In general, participants exhibited improvements in body-image flexibility and reductions in body-image avoidance behavior over the course of treatment and beyond. Individual-level outcomes will be presented in detail and further implications discussed.