The Act in Context

Steve Hayes is one of the most original thinkers in modern psychology. His ideas not only revolutionized behavior analysis and clinical practice but also have the potential to shake up the realm of cognitive science. This book offers a unique opportunity to (re)discover some of his most fascinating work.—Jan De Houwer, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Ghent University

Few people are as creative and insightful as Steven Hayes in making sense of human complexity and helping people move forward in positive ways. This book chronicles the development of a great mind.—Kelly D. Brownell, PhD, Dean, Sanford School of Public Policy, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University

In this remarkable collection of profound insights, Steven Hayes laid the foundation of some ground-breaking new therapeutic approaches, including but not limited to, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Hayes’ work shows incredible breadth and depth, ranging from theories of verbal relations and behavior analysis to issues on epistemology, spirituality, and evolution. Whether you agree with him or not, his thinking has been and will continue to be the inspiration of generations of future scholars, researchers, and clinicians. His thinking targets the essential questions about applied behavioral sciences with the goal to improve the human condition. Thank you, Steve.—Stefan G. Hofmann, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University; Author, An Introduction to Modern CBT: Psychological Solutions for Mental Health Problems

Steve Hayes has dedicated his life to maximising human potential for a rich and meaningful life. This book will give you fascinating insights into that lifelong journey. Although these papers are technical in nature, and therefore somewhat demanding, this is a really worthwhile and meaningful read. If you are interested in the evolution of ACT and RFT, and the science and philosophy underpinning them, then it is well worth investing your time and energy to read and absorb these landmark scientific papers. A must for all ACT and RFT completionists.—Russ Harris, Author, The Happiness Trap

The Act in Context: The Canonical Papers of Steven C. Hayes is a thoughtful glimpse into the intellectual development and scientific evolution of one of the past century's most prominent psychologists, clinicans, philosophers, behaviorists, and advocates for the advancement of the human condition and alleviation of suffering... [A] wide breadth of scholarship [is] available within this book and may serve as a source of inspiration for young and experienced scientists, psychologists, and philosophers interested in the scientific pursuit of technologies to reduce human suffering. --Brian Pilecki, PhD, and Theresa Morgan, PhD, Rhode Island Hospital Partial Hospital Program, PsycCritiques

This book presents a career-spanning compilation of seminal papers, edited only to reduce repeition, and with new chapter introductions that explain the importance of each paper. In this volume, Hayes has cast a curator's eye over his hundreds of published papers and selected those that encapsulate for him the arc and reach of a life's work. The papers span from 1982 to 2012, and interestingly Hayes chose not to present the papers chronologically, instead he has compiled them into three thematic sections... [This] is as much academic autobiography as it is an edited volume of otherwise available papers. It is valuable for Hayes's take on his work and will be of interest to those who are interested in ACT and wish to learn more about its development." -Dr Mark Oliver, Community Team for People with Learning Disabilities at Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust, The Psychologist