ABSTRACT
There are many ways to describe the interacting behaviors that are involved in psychological flexibility. A common approach is the ACT Hexaflex that describes six behavioral repertoires that can serve as process variables within behavior analytic intervention: present-moment awareness, clarity and contact with values, committed action, self-as-context, cognitive defusion, and acceptance and willingness. This Hexaflex model serves as the organizational framework for Chapters 5 through 10, which discuss each process in detail. In this chapter, we also discuss alternative ways to functionally approach psychological flexibility, which includes collapsing these six processes into higher-order process of openness, centeredness, and engagement; delineating between mindfulness behavior targets and behavior change targets within intervention; and couching the psychological flexibility processes within antecedent and consequential contextual events for a more complete functional analysis. We also introduce the ACT Matrix as a simplified model that can guide interventions to promote movement toward valued reinforcement. We also describe the synthesis of ACT within the broader evolutionary sciences in the Extended Evolutionary Meta-Model (EEMM) that could inform the future development of ACT interventions.
