The Mindful Action Plan: Using the MAP to Apply Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Productivity and Self-Compassion for Behavior Analysts
Keep the six-step MAP handy to stay values-linked and calm when clinic chaos shows up.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Moran et al. (2022) built a six-step checklist called the Mindful Action Plan (MAP).
The steps mix ACT ideas like values and acceptance with quick self-management moves.
No data were collected; the paper shows you how to use the tool when work stress spikes.
What they found
The authors did not run an experiment, so there are no outcome numbers to report.
They simply lay out the MAP so any BCBA can copy the steps and stay values-directed.
How this fits with other research
Bottini et al. (2025) treat burnout as behavior and push OBM fixes like task re-design. The MAP adds a self-check you can use while those bigger fixes roll out.
Britton et al. (2021) hand you ethics rubrics to stop violations. Pairing those rubrics with the MAP keeps you both compliant and mentally flexible.
McComas et al. (2025) ask you to audit ableist language. Running the MAP after such audits helps you respond with self-compassion instead of defensiveness.
Why it matters
You can print the MAP on one page and keep it in your clipboard. When a parent yells or funding cuts hit, walk through the six steps: pause, name the feeling, pick the value, choose one tiny action. It takes two minutes and keeps your day from sliding into burnout or ethical slips.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The COVID-19 public health emergency created an aversive environment for people all around the world. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), born of behavior analysis, can help address some of these problems by encouraging behavioral change and increasing psychological flexibility. The mindful action plan (MAP) is designed to create a simple approach to utilizing the ACT principles. The MAP utilizes the traditional ACT hexagon model and provides a checklist for learning and following through on the 6 components that, when combined, lead to psychological flexibility. The MAP guides people to act in the direction of their values and to be influenced by their verbal behavior while saying, “I am here now, accepting my feelings and noticing my thoughts while doing what I care about.” Specific instructions and exercises are provided so the MAP can be used by behavior analysts to assist their actions during stressful and anxiety-provoking times.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2022 · doi:10.1007/s40617-020-00441-y