Emerging research in the assessment of acceptance and mindfulness processes has also involved the development of observational coding systems. Observational assessment of experiential avoidance and experiential acceptance is a complex undertaking, as both of these constructs are functionally defined. To date, there are two relevant ongoing studies involving behavioral assessment of experiential avoidance as well as acceptance and mindfulness. Coyne, Burke, and Davis (2006) have developed a coding system to assess experiential avoidance and acceptance, as well as willingness in the context of a family- based cognitive behavioral treatment for young children with OCD. Specifically, this coding system measures parent, child, and therapist experiential avoidance/ acceptance, as well as motivational variables such as parent and child engagement in treatment and homework compliance. Initial reliability analyses suggest the promise of this coding system, although this work is still in its infancy (Coyne et al., 2006).
Similarly, Silvia and Coyne (2008) are currently investigating the role of mind- fulness in parent-child interaction. Recent work has linked experiential avoidance with parents’ negative emotional experiences and ineffective parenting (Berlin, Sato,
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Jastrowski, Woods, & Davies, 2006; Greco, Heffner, and Poe, 2005; Coyne, Burke, et al., 2006), and mindfulness processes with improved outcomes for parents (Blackledge & Hayes, 2006) and children (Singh et al., 2006). However, to date, no studies have linked these processes to parenting sequences that are behaviorally observed in parent- child interactions. Thus the goals of the Silvia and Coyne study are threefold: (1) to investigate whether experiential avoidance is related to behaviorally observed parenting behaviors during a parent-child interaction task, (2) to explore the relationship between parental risk status and experiential avoidance, and (3) to compare parenting behaviors of mothers who have been randomly assigned to a brief mindfulness exercise to those in an attentional control condition. Data collection is ongoing; however, use of this methodology may prove fruitful in elucidating whether and how mindfulness may be used to help parents use effective parenting skills in difficult or challenging situations with their children.
Other directions in which to explore assessment of experiential avoidance and mindfulness involve the use of narrative technologies. For example, Schwartzman and Wahler (2006) have studied increasing coherence in parent narratives about their chil- dren and parenting difficulties as a means of improving adherence to parent training protocols. Restructuring narratives involves elements of mindfulness, including pur- poseful attention and self-monitoring, and thus evaluating degree of coherence may constitute a useful methodology for assessment. In a similar vein, Coyne, Low, Miller, Seifer, and Dickstein (2006) have assessed mothers’ mindful awareness of their chil- dren using indices of attunement and representation of their children. Generally, these indices described mothers’ empathic understanding of their children and their ability to describe their motives, predict their behaviors, and integrate new and unexpected information into their existing perspectives of their child. The investigators found that mothers who demonstrated greater attunement to and representation of their children reported less depression, fewer child behaviors problems, and higher levels of observed sensitive parenting behaviors (Coyne, Low, et al., 2006).
Conclusion
Assessment of mindfulness and acceptance, as well as related processes such as experi- ential avoidance, is in its beginning stages. However, establishing objective, reliable, and valid measures is a critical step in ascertaining the importance of acceptance-related processes in overt behavioral outcomes. Perhaps the most important direction in which to expand this small but steadily growing literature involves more precise specifica- tion of constructs being measured, and their relationship to therapeutic processes and outcomes.
Most emerging measures of acceptance, mindfulness, and related processes are self-report. Ideally these measures would exhibit adequate specificity and sensitivity to change over time and over the course of treatment. This is especially true in treatment
focused on increasing acceptance and committed action. The use of interview tech- niques is embedded in a number of different treatment approaches; however, as with all clinician-administered or -interpreted interview tools, these may have low reliability in terms of decision-making value. More objective measures of these processes would also be sufficiently flexible and correspond with functional definitions of mindfulness and acceptance. For these reasons, the development of observational coding systems that can be translated to the context of therapy may be a promising supplemental approach. Assessment of physiological reactivity may also be useful in evaluating the degree of mindful awareness/acceptance, as well as experiential avoidance of noxious internal stimuli.
In sum, measurement of assessment and mindfulness processes has proven a difficult and yet extremely worthwhile task. Assessing these processes in children also stands to advance our knowledge of developmental psychopathology as well as socioemotional and cognitive processes throughout childhood and adolescence. The development and empirical validation of developmentally sensitive measures are also critical in informing acceptance- and mindfulness-based treatment approaches for youth.
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