Compassionate Care, Cultural Humility, and Psychological Flexibility: Examining the Potential for Consilience in Applied Behavior Analysis

Abstract

Taylor et al. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 12, 654–666, (2019) recommended that applied behavior analysts develop more collaborative relationships with their clients' caregivers by researching, training, and providing compassionate care in applied behavior analysis (ABA). A behavior analytic interpretation of compassionate care could support the development of such training and support collaborative relationships with not only caregivers, but all participants in ABA services (e.g., clients, stakeholders, providers, supervisees, and other professionals). The present article will review a relational frame theory account of compassionate care and discuss the possibility of expanding the concept of compassionate care by discussing its similarities with two other middle level terms: cultural humility and psychological flexibility. Given these similarities and the evidence that Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) supports several self-management skills including psychological flexibility, we will discuss ways practicing ACT could facilitate compassionate care, cultural humility, and collaborative relationships in human service organizations. The ACT Matrix will be presented to elaborate on how ACT, as a viable and comprehensive technology, may support behavior analysts’ training and practice of psychologically flexible skills which might bolster a compassionate care repertoire. Given this review, a possible consilience of compassionate care, including the proposed component of cultural humility, as facilitated by psychological flexibility will be offered. Finally, implications of this approach to practitioners, clients, and ABA as a whole will be discussed in conjunction with recommendations for future research and how ABA leadership can support the development and sustainability of compassionate care in ABA organizations.