Psychology

Acceptance in behavior therapy: Understanding the process of change

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Acceptance is integral to several cutting-edge behavior therapies. However, several questions about acceptance remain to be clearly answered. First, what does acceptance look like, and can it be observed and measured? Second, what are the behavioral principles involved in the promotion of acceptance? Third, when is acceptance indicated or contraindicated as a therapeutic goal? The current paper attempts to clarify answers to these questions. The goal is to provide a conceptualization of the what, how, and when of acceptance that is accessible to behavior analysts, both to promote our understanding of acceptance as a behavioral phenomenon and to facilitate its empirical study and therapeutic utility.

Publication Title

Behavior Analyst

Publication Date

1-1-2001

Volume

24

Issue

2

First Page

213

Last Page

226

ISSN

0738-6729

DOI

10.1007/BF03392032

Keywords

acceptance, behavior therapy, clinical behavior analysis

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