Evaluating the Effects of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Treatment Package on the Consumption of Healthy Foods

Author

Gaby Moss, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFollow

Date of Award

5-1-2018

Degree Name

Master of Science in Education

Department

Behavior Analysis and Therapy

First Advisor

Rehfeldt, Ruth Anne

Abstract

A wide range of research has been conducted with children using contingency controlled interventions with traditional ABA principles to teach and improve eating behaviors. Yet, there is not much research assessing verbal rules associated with our eating behaviors using current ABA practices. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) treatment package on the consumption of low-preferred, healthy foods. The current study specifically used acceptance and defusion techniques incorporated into discussions and activities, followed by food presentation. Three participants were evaluated by using a multiple baseline design across three food categories: fruit, common vegetables, and uncommon vegetables. Results of this study revealed that the ACT treatment package may not be an effective treatment for increasing the consumption or acceptance of low preferred foods.