The Use of a Child-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Curriculum to Increase Attention

ABSTRACT

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a treatment that integrates mindfulness and acceptance training with behavior change processes. One of the core processes in ACT is contact with the present moment which involves shifting attention to what is happening here and now, contacting both internal and external stimuli. An experimental and control group were used to determine the impact ACT had on attention. ACT participants (M = 5.4, SD = 9.8) showed fewer inaccuracies on the CPT-X task compared to the control group (M = 19.75, SD = 16.1) at posttest F(1, 38) = 11.49, p = .02, ηp² = .232. Results of the current study demonstrate participation in the use of an ACT curriculum for children to help increase attention outcomes.

KEYWORDS:

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
• attention
• children
• mindfulness