Mindfulness: A Behaviorist's Perspective and Practice

Abstract:

Mindfulness practices such as meditation and yoga have gained popularity in recent years, leading to a multibillion-dollar industry as of 2020. In spite of its popularity, the research on the effects of mindfulness practices is still emerging, though promising in some areas. Mindfulness is often described in non-behavioral terms; however, mindfulness might be conceptualized within a behavioral framework that includes concepts such as operant and respondent conditioning, private events, and motivating operations. Further, interventions such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) might be considered both mindfulness-based and behavior analytic in nature. This talk will provide an overview of mindfulness practices within a behavioral framework, and future directions for behavior analysts as practitioners, clinicians, and researchers will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will define and describe 3 types of mindfulness-based practices
2. Participants will list 3 examples of interventions that combine behavior analysis with mindfulness practices.
3. Participants will list examples of covert and overt behaviors that are targeted through mindfulness-based practices.
4. Participants will describe 3 challenges to conducting a well-controlled research study on mindfulness-based practices.