Relationship between Behavioral Variability Governed by Rules and Psychological Flexibility

Abstract

Increasingly, studies of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) have suggested that psychological flexibility is related to mental health. However, too few studies have examined the model of psychological flexibility from the point of Relational Frame Theory (RFT), the basis of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Related to that, behavioral variability governed by rules may provide a new point of view for Relational Frame Theory. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between behavioral variability governed by rules and psychological flexibility, and the benefit of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with reference to Relational Frame Theory. Participants responded to questionnaires and completed 2 computer tasks which measured their behavioral variability governed by rules. The findings revealed that the participants' scores on the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) and on behavioral variability governed by rules were weakly but not significantly correlated. On the other hand, the participants with poor mental health tended to exhibit psychological inflexibility and behavioral rigidity, and psychological flexibility and behavioral variability governed by rules seemed to predict mental health. In conclusion, the present study suggests that behavioral variability governed by rules may reflect one part of psychological flexibility, and benefit Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with reference to Relational Frame Theory.