Values in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

While the concept of values has been present in behavioral traditions dating back to Skinner, the analysis of the role of values in modern contextual behavioral science (CBS) in relation to motivation has greatly expanded over the past 30 years. In particular, values are important in a modern understanding of the role of human language in modifying how reinforcement occurs. In this article we outline values work as a foundational component of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and analyze values through a CBS and relational frame theory lens. Included are an extensive review of the empirical literature on the role of values in ACT and a discussion of values measures commonly used in CBS research and clinical practice. Finally, we offer recommendations for the next steps needed to expand our understanding of this essential process.