The Potential Benefits of Flexibility for Dissemination and Implementation: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as an Example

Our commentary on the article by Fixsen and Blase (2018) highlights some of the converging and diverging strategies between the Teaching-Family Model (TFM) and the dissemination and implementation of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). We focus primarily on the potential benefits of flexibility in areas including theory, methodology, and intervention protocols. Examples include the use of middle level terms, randomized controlled trial methods, protocols focused more on function than specific topography, and an open, collaborative approach to dissemination. We also note how this broader set of strategies can be made coherent and progressive through a careful connection back to contextual behavioral science as an underlying scientific strategy and its associated philosophy of science. We hope this approach contributes to an ongoing conversation on potentially useful strategies for dissemination and implementation

Physiological, Behavioral, and Self-Report Outcomes of Acceptance and Regulation Approaches to Exposures for Intrusive Thoughts

Cognitive-behavioral therapy that includes exposure, or intentionally and systematically confronting feared situations, is the gold standard psychological treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, less than half of those who begin this treatment are considered to have recovered from their disorder at the end of treatment, and this number is even smaller in the months following the end of treatment. Leading theories regarding how treatment changes occur focus on reducing fear, and they do not include “voluntary” (i.e., operant) behaviors, such as avoidance, that are key features of the disorder. Acceptance-based approaches to exposure do not focus on fear reduction, but directly focus on changing “voluntary” behaviors. Combining these two perspectives could lead to a better understanding of how exposure works and, ultimately, lead to more effective and long-lasting psychological treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder. The current study investigated whether accepting distress or attempting to reduce distress during exposure for intrusive thoughts led to different outcomes and whether they led to these outcomes in different ways. Participants with intrusive thoughts were randomized to three groups, Acceptance (n = 23), Regulation (n = 20), and Control (n = 21), and completed two sessions 1week apart. Participants in the Acceptance and Regulation groups completed a 30-minute exposure at session 1 and 6 days of 10-minute exposures at home; Control participants watched videos of the same lengths. Self-report questionnaires, measures of behavior, self-ratings, and physiological data were collected at both sessions. Results showed that Acceptance and Regulation groups decreased on measures of obsessive-compulsive symptom severity, rituals performed, self-rated distress, and skin conductance levels. Acceptance showed lower skin conductance and a statistical trend toward greater self-rated willingness to experience distress than Regulation, as well as greater psychological flexibility than Control. There were no between group differences in the number of exposure tasks completed during a behavioral test, psychological inflexibility, valued living, or heart rate. This study suggests that psychological flexibility and willingness to experience distress may paradoxically lead to decreased physiological arousal, findings which may inform future research and treatment approaches

A Spitzer Unbiased Ultradeep Spectroscopic Survey

We carried out an unbiased, spectroscopic survey using the low-resolution module of the infrared spectrograph (IRS) on board Spitzer targeting two 2.6 square arcminute regions in the GOODS-North field. IRS was used in spectral mapping mode with 5 hours of effective integration time per pixel. One region was covered between 14 and 21 microns and the other between 20 and 35 microns. We extracted spectra for 45 sources. About 84% of the sources have reported detections by GOODS at 24 microns, with a median F_nu(24um) ~ 100 uJy. All but one source are detected in all four IRAC bands, 3.6 to 8 microns. We use a new cross-correlation technique to measure redshifts and estimate IRS spectral types; this was successful for ~60% of the spectra. Fourteen sources show significant PAH emission, four mostly SiO absorption, eight present mixed spectral signatures (low PAH and/or SiO) and two show a single line in emission. For the remaining 17, no spectral features were detected. Redshifts range from z ~ 0.2 to z ~ 2.2, with a median of 1. IR Luminosities are roughly estimated from 24 microns flux densities, and have median values of 2.2 x 10^{11} L_{\odot} and 7.5 x 10^{11} L_{\odot} at z ~ 1 and z ~ 2 respectively. This sample has fewer AGN than previous faint samples observed with IRS, which we attribute to the fainter luminosities reached here.Comment: Published in Ap

Aerodynamic control of NASP-type vehicles through vortex manipulation, volume 4

Forebody Vortex Control (FVC) is an emerging technology that has received widespread and concentrated attention by many researchers for application on fighter aircraft to enhance aerodynamic controllability at high angles of attack. This research explores potential application of FVC to a NASP-type configuration. The configuration investigated is characterized by a slender, circular cross-section forebody and a 78 deg swept delta wing. A man-in-the-loop, six-degress-of-freedom, high-fidelity simulation was developed that demonstrates the implementation and advantages of pneumatic forebody vortex control. Static wind tunnel tests were used as the basis for the aerodynamic characteristics modeled in the simulation. Dynamic free-to-roll wind tunnel tests were analyzed and the wing rock motion investigated. A non-linear model of the dynamic effects of the bare airframe and the forebody vortex control system were developed that closely represented the observed behavior. Multiple state-of-the-art digital flight control systems were developed that included different utilizations of pneumatic vortex control. These were evaluated through manned simulation. Design parameters for a pneumatic forebody vortex control system were based on data collected regarding the use of blowing and the mass flow required during realistic flight maneuvers

Banner News

https://openspace.dmacc.edu/banner_news/1216/thumbnail.jp

Reflections on retrofits: Overcoming barriers to energy efficiency among the fuel poor in the United Kingdom

To meet targets on fuel poverty, energy efficiency and carbon emissions existing homes need to be more energy efficient. We report the results of a participatory action research project to explore the challenges associated with energy efficiency retrofit programmes and ways to better implement future schemes. Six focus groups were held with 48 participants from a range of energy efficiency roles. Data were analysed thematically using the research question “What are the challenges presented by implementing energy efficiency retrofit programmes”. We identified four themes in the data: Funding mechanisms; Predicting performance; Installation; and People. Challenges include funding mechanisms for retrofit programmes resulting in insufficient time to plan, publicise, implement and evaluate a scheme and insufficient flexibility to specify the most appropriate intervention for individual homes. Site workers sometimes need to adapt retrofit designs because of insufficient detail from the designer and can equate quality of installation with quality of finish. Landlords and occupier behaviour can impact on the programme's success and there is a need for greater information on benefits for landlords and for energy behaviour change interventions run alongside retrofit programmes for occupiers. There is a need for outcome evaluations of retrofit schemes with the results shared with stakeholders

Longitudinal Effects of a 2-Year Meditation and Buddhism Program on Well-being, Quality of Life, and Valued Living

Objectives: Most research on mindfulness and meditation has focused on structured therapeutic interventions, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction, or meditation retreats. Such programs have received moderate empirical support for improving psychological outcomes in clinical and nonclinical populations, but there remains a paucity of research on intensive or long-term mindfulness or meditation programs for experienced practitioners, especially those that incorporate Buddhist teachings. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of a long-term integrated mindfulness/meditation and Buddhism program, Dharma in Daily Life (DIDL). Methods: Well-being, quality of life, valued living, and theorized processes of change were measured using a naturalistic, quasi-experimental design over the course of the 2-year program and 6-month follow-up. Participants included 17 individuals enrolled in the program and 14 individuals recruited from community meditation groups. Results: Participation in the program predicted increases in subjective well-being and mindfulness over time compared to the control group. Regardless of condition, frequency of meditation predicted lower psychological inflexibility and higher mindfulness, well-being, and progress toward values. Length of meditation session predicted a greater ability to observe experience, and prior meditation experience predicted greater non-reactivity to experience. Conclusions: Although preliminary, results suggest that participation in a long-term integrated mindfulness/meditation and Buddhism program may positively impact mindfulness and general well-being. Frequency of meditation sessions appears to be a particularly important variable. These findings warrant further investigation of such programs and practice parameters, as well as how each may affect key outcomes

Banner News

https://openspace.dmacc.edu/banner_news/1219/thumbnail.jp

Banner News

https://openspace.dmacc.edu/banner_news/1215/thumbnail.jp

Moderators and Processes of Change in Traditional Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Versus Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-Informed ERP for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

The present study evaluated moderators and processes of change in a randomized controlled trial comparing exposure and response prevention (ERP) delivered from a traditional framework versus ERP from an acceptance and commitment therapy framework (ACT+ERP) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This paper presents baseline, weekly session, posttreatment, and follow-up data from the study. We examined (a) moderation effects of anxiety, depression, psychological inflexibility, and interpretation of intrusions and (b) the role of psychological inflexibility and interpretation of intrusions respectively as processes of change. Participants with less dysfunctional appraisals at pretreatment performed consistently better in ERP relative to ACT+ERP. In process analyses, psychological inflexibility and interpretation of intrusions positively influenced OCD severity over time in both conditions but OCD symptom severity also positively influenced psychological inflexibility and interpretation of intrusions in both conditions. Furthermore, whereas OCD symptom severity strongly and positively predicted dysfunctional appraisals over the course of treatment in ERP, symptom severity had a weaker positive effect on dysfunctional appraisals in ACT+ERP. Clinical and theoretical implications as well as study limitations are discussed