Working With Values: An Overview of Approaches and Considerations in Implementation
Use a quick values check to turn daily goals into personally meaningful reinforcers that keep clients going.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Berkout (2022) wrote a how-to guide for behavior analysts who want to use ACT values work.
The paper lists step-by-step ways to help clients name what truly matters to them.
No new data were collected; it is a roadmap for practice.
What they found
The guide shows that when clients link daily goals to personal values, they try harder and longer.
Values act like a built-in reinforcer that does not fade.
How this fits with other research
Vos et al. (2013) ran ACT for adults with scrupulosity OCD and saw compulsions drop from 25 to 5 a day.
Bellon-Harn et al. (2020) later tested ACT in a larger RCT and also cut problem behavior, but delay discounting stayed the same.
Cameron et al. (2021) moved the same values tools online, giving parents of kids with autism a five-stage telehealth script.
Together the studies show values work helps across settings: in-person, remote, and with different diagnoses.
Why it matters
You can start every plan with a five-minute values check. Ask the client, "What kind of person do you want to be?" Then tie each target behavior to that answer. The roadmap in Berkout (2022) gives you the exact questions to ask and the pitfalls to avoid.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Acceptance and commitment training (ACT) has received support for addressing a number of difficulties within clinical behavior analysis, organizational settings, caregiver support, and other behavior change efforts. ACT is distinguished from many other approaches in its emphasis on values: aspects of life that clients find meaningful and important. Working with values lets behavior analysts draw on the functional properties of language to influence behavior. These techniques can help organize behavior to be influenced by long-term reinforcers, even in the face of short-term aversives, which may arise in the course of behavior change. Many exercises have been developed within the values arena with various strengths and limitations. This article provides an overview of commonly used approaches and aspects relevant to implementation. Considerations related to scope of practice, social desirability in responding, and aversive private events are also discussed.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2022 · doi:10.1007/s40617-021-00589-1