Fooling around with Definitions of Psychological Flexibility

Chad E. Drake, Ph.D.

psychological flexibility

experiential avoidance

Experiential Avoidance

• The intent to alter or avoid the form, frequency, or intensity of private experiences such as thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations or memories, even when doing so is costly, ineffective, or unnecessary.

psychologicalinflexibility

experientialavoidance

cognitivefusion

attachment to theconceptualized self

inaction, impulsivity,avoidant persistence

lack of valuesclarity; dominance

of pliance andavoidant tracking

dominance of the conceputalized pastand feared future;

weak self-knowledge

psychologicalflexibility

acceptance

defusion

self-as-context

committed action

values

contact with the present moment

Hayes et al., 2004

• From page 5 of “A Practical Guide to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy”:

• “…the ability to contact the present moment more fully as a conscious human being, and to either change or persist when doing so serves valued ends.”

Luoma, Hayes, & Walser, 2007

• From page 17 of “Learning ACT”

• “…the ability to contact the present moment more fully as a conscious human being, and based on what the situation affords, to change or persist in behavior in order to serve valued ends.”

Hayes et al., 2007

• From page 57 of “Understanding Behavior Disorders”:

• “…the ability to experience events fully, consciously, and without defense, and to persist in or change behavior in a given situation in the service of chosen values.”

9

Let’s Behave

10

Inflexible Example

anxiety be alone

relief

I want this… but I don’t like this… so I do this… which leads to this.

loneliness

Antecedent conditions Behavior Consequences

control

values

11

Flexible Example

anxietysocialize

whileanxious

vitality

I want this… but I don’t like this… so I do this… which leads to this.

people

Antecedent conditions Behavior Consequences

willingness

values

• Psychological flexibility is any behavior where the motivational functions of some personal value dominate over non-valued motives as well as direct or indirect aversive stimulation that would normally elicit or occasion escape and/or avoidance

• Psychological flexibility is also a sensitivity to stimulation that assists one in learning how to pursue one’s value and an insensitivity to stimulation that would normally serve to promote escape, avoidance, and experiential avoidance

Jerold Hambright

• “When a person can observe himself in a context while taking action for a purpose, then the person learns what works and does not work for his values.”

Questions to Ponder

• Is aversive stimulation necessary to reveal psychological flexibility?

• Is it psychologically flexibile to engage in valued action in the absence of obstacles, distress, or suffering?

• Is it psychological flexibility to pursue transcendence, even in respect to values?

• Is values-consistent behavior necessary for psychological flexibility?