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The '''Association for Contextual Behavioral Science''' ('''ACBS''') is a worldwide nonprofit professional membership organization associated with [[acceptance and commitment therapy]] (ACT), and [[relational frame theory]] (RFT) among other topics.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=JlqqlVJ1iTUC&pg=PA256#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Acceptance and Mindfulness in Cognitive Behavior Therapy |author1=James D. Herbert |author2=Evan M. Forman |publisher=John Wiley & Sons|date= Nov 2010 |accessdate=30 January 2012}}</ref> The term "contextual behavioral science" refers to the application of [[functional contextualism]] to human behavior, including contextual forms of [[applied behavior analysis]], [[cognitive behavioral therapy]], and [[evolution]] science.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://psychology.nuim.ie/documents/Behavior%20Analysis%20and%20Contextualism.ppt#256,1,|title=Maynooth University Department of Psychology|author=|date=|publisher=|accessdate=11 September 2016}}</ref> In the applied area [[Acceptance and Commitment Therapy]] is perhaps the best known wing of contextual behavioral science, and is an emphasis of ACBS, along with other types of contextual CBT, and efforts in education, organizational behavior, and other areas. ACT is considered an empirically validated treatment by the [[American Psychological Association]], with the status of "Modest Research Support" in depression and "Strong Research Support" in chronic pain, with several others specific areas such as psychosis and work site stress currently under review.<ref>{{Cite web|title=APA website on empirical treatments |url=http://www.div12.org/PsychologicalTreatments/treatments.html |accessdate=2009-09-01 |deadurlurl-status=yesdead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101005034058/http://www.div12.org/PsychologicalTreatments/treatments.html |archivedate=2010-10-05 }}</ref> ACT is also listed as evidence-based by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the United States federal government which has examined randomized trials for ACT in the areas of psychosis, work site stress, and obsessive compulsive disorder, including depression outcomes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices |url=http://nrepp.samhsa.gov/ViewIntervention.aspx?id=191 |accessdate=2011-09-01 |deadurlurl-status=yesdead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823110657/http://nrepp.samhsa.gov/ViewIntervention.aspx?id=191 |archivedate=2011-08-23 |df= }}</ref> In the basic area, [[Relational Frame Theory]] is a research program in language and cognition that is considered part of contextual behavioral science, and is a focus of ACBS.<ref>Blackledge, J.T. (2003). [http://www.pegahuman.no/BAT-34.pdf#page=61 An Introduction to Relational Frame Theory: Basics and Applications] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903090918/http://www.pegahuman.no/BAT-34.pdf#page=61 |date=September 3, 2013 }}. ''The Behavior Analyst Today'', 3, 421–34.</ref> Unlike the better known behavioral approach proposed by [[B.F. Skinner]] in his book ''[[Verbal Behavior]]'', experimental RFT research has emerged in a number of areas traditionally thought to be beyond behavioral perspectives, such as grammar, metaphor, perspective taking, implicit cognition and reasoning.<ref name="Barnes-Holmes04">Barnes-Holmes, Y.; Barnes-Holmes, D. & McHugh, L. (2004). [http://www.baojournal.com/JEIBI/JEIBI-VOL-1/JEIBI-1-1.pdf Teaching Derived Relational Responding to Young Children] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111215160214/http://www.baojournal.com/JEIBI/JEIBI-VOL-1/JEIBI-1-1.pdf |date=2011-12-15 }}. ''JEIBI'', 1, 4–16.</ref><ref name="Cullinan08">Cullinan, V. & Vitale, A. (2008). [http://www.baojournal.com/SLP-ABA%20WEBSITE/SLP-ABA-VOL-3/SLP-ABA-CS202-4-3-1.pdf The contribution of Relational Frame Theory to the development of interventions for impairments of language and cognition] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229143829/http://www.baojournal.com/SLP-ABA%20WEBSITE/SLP-ABA-VOL-3/SLP-ABA-CS202-4-3-1.pdf |date=December 29, 2010 }}. ''Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis'', 2(4)–3(1), 122–135.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://psychology.nuim.ie/IRAP/IRAP_1.shtml|title=Maynooth University Department of Psychology|author=|date=|publisher=|accessdate=11 September 2016}}</ref>
==History==
Established in 2005, ACBS has about 7,800 members.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://contextualscience.org/acbs|title=ACBS - Association for Contextual Behavioral Science|author=|date=|publisher=|accessdate=11 September 2017}}</ref> Slightly more than one half are outside of the United States. There are 44 ACBS chapters<ref>{{cite web|url=https://contextualscience.org/chapters|title=ACBS - Association for Contextual Behavioral Science|author=|date=|publisher=|accessdate=14 September 2017}}</ref> covering many areas of the world including Italy,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.act-italia.org/doceboCms/|title=ACT-Italia.org|author=|date=|publisher=|accessdate=11 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913204031/http://www.act-italia.org/doceboCms/|archive-date=13 September 2016|dead-url-status=yesdead}}</ref> Japan,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.act-japan-acbs.jp/|title=ACT Japan - The Japanese Association for Contextual Behavioral Science|author=|date=|publisher=|accessdate=11 September 2016}}</ref> Belgium, the Netherlands,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acbsbene.nl/|title=ACBS BeNe - Nederlandstalige Chapter|author=|date=|publisher=|accessdate=11 September 2016}}</ref> Spain, Australia/New Zealand,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://anzact.com/|title=ANZ ACBS Annual Conference 2014 - ANZ ACBS|author=|date=|publisher=|accessdate=11 September 2016}}</ref> the Balkans, France,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://300gp.ovh.net/~actfranc/ACT/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=140&Itemid=29|title=AFSCC|first=Benjamin|last=Schoendorff|date=|publisher=|accessdate=11 September 2016}}</ref> the United Kingdom and Turkey. Chapters exist in the United States and Canada as well, including the mid-Atlantic, New England, Colorado, Washington, Ontario (CA) and several other areas. There are also 28 Special Interest Groups covering a wide range of basic and applied areas such as children and adolescents, developing nations, veteran's affairs, ACT for the Public, social work, stigma, and many other areas.
==Activities==
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