The CBS Superlab
The CBS Superlab
What is the CBS Superlab?
With the release of the ACBS Task Force Report on the Strategies and Tactics of Contextual Behavioral Science Research, high-level discussion around how to roll out the proposed recommendations is necessary. The CBS Superlab is an international research lab meeting held once a quarter via Zoom. CBS SuperLab Meetings are typically held at 3pm EST. These hour-long quarterly meetings will involve:
• A research presentation delivered by a CBS lab that showcases ongoing advances, developments, and innovations in the field of CBS. Each presenter will be invited to share resources relating to their presentation (e.g., PowerPoint slides, handouts, software packages) that will be made available to all attendees.
• A group discussion among all attendees that focuses on both the presentation and means of addressing the Task Force’s recommendations.
All ACBS members are invited to attend. All CBS research labs are invited to participate. To be considered a CBS lab, your lab details must be included on the www.contextualscience.org website. To attend, register here and join the Superlab listserv to continue the conversation.
Research labs may submit to present here.
Superlab with Robert Johansson, PhD, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Sweden - April 24, 2024 3pm EST (You will find the recording here).
Title: "Artificial General Intelligence from a contextual behavioral science perspective."
Abstract: Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is a branch of AI research aiming to create "thinking machines" - computer systems that have a general-purpose ability, as distinguished from most of today's systems that are trained for special-purpose tasks. One example of an AGI system is Pei Wang's Non-Axiomatic Reasoning System (NARS). Due to its design, including an experience-grounded semantics and its focus on adaptation with insufficient knowledge and resources, there is a natural overlap with much of contextual behavioral philosophy and psychology.
Since 2018, our lab has been running a research program where we investigate the relational reasoning abilities of NARS, using methods from behavioral psychology and RFT. We have proved NARS to be able to learn with both classical and operant conditioning in a way that is very similar to human and non-human operant learning. In addition we have also more recently showed that NARS is able to learn generalized identity matching, and, after a sufficient history of multiple-exemplar training, perform in accordance with symmetry.
This talk will give a brief introduction to the AGI research field with a particular focus on NARS, Furthermore, we will describe the research we have been carrying out. Finally, we will argue why we believe this kind of research could be a valuable contribution to ACBS, and in line with several recommendations of the ACBS Task Force.
Superlab with Phillip Klein - July 17, 2024 3pm EST (Register for this meeting and all of the quarterly Superlab meetings here).
Title: "From Network Theory to Process-Based Therapy: a practice-oriented research presentation."
The network theory of mental disorders stipulates that mental disorders result from a dynamic interaction between symptoms of mental disorders and other variables. This implies that symptoms of mental disorders are not passive indicators of an underlying causal mechanism and might have profound implications for treatment. These implications form the basis of process-based therapy which states that psychological treatments should no longer be defined by treatment protocols that target the putative causal mechanism of a certain mental disorder but rather be defined by therapeutic strategies aimed at changing the network dynamics from a disease state to a healthy state. It is unclear however, which networks characteristics have to be targeted to bring about this change. In this session, we will first introduce network theory and its connection to process-based therapy Jan Philipp Klein (Lübeck University, Germany) and then present three studies:
- Lea Schumacher (University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany) will present person-specific networks estimated from data of a randomized-controlled psychotherapy trial that sheds light on the question which changes in these networks best predict outcome: changes in symptom associations or changes in centrality parameters?
- Jana Bommer (Trier University, Germany) will present intra-individual networks estimated from data of a large population-based study to examine whether vicious cycles that can be identified on a group level are present on the individual level and if these vicious cycles actually confer an unfavorable outcome.
- Finally, Nele Assmann (Lübeck University, Germany) will present cross-sectional networks of patients who are seeking treatment for depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, somatic symptom disorder or eating disorder to ascertain which core psychological processes are associated with these syndromes.
By the end of the session, attendees will have a clearer understanding of the state of the research on network theory's contribution to the practice of psychotherapy.
Learn more about Superlab
Learn more about SuperlabThe CBS Superlab: Discussions on the recommendations of the ACBS Task Force on the Strategies and Tactics of Contextual Behavioral Science Research
Ethos:
The CBS Superlab aims to provide attendees with a space to learn about ongoing research internationally while also engaging in discussions around the ACBS Task Force Report. The CBS Superlab aims to provide presenters with a space to showcase their research and engage in effective knowledge transfer and exchange. We intend to create a context that promotes genuine connection and collaboration within the CBS community, enabling researchers to share resources and problem-solve together. The CBS Superlab provides a unique opportunity for all researchers, regardless of their stage of study and career, to come together and share cutting-edge research in a collaborative, not competitive, environment.
Values underlying the CBS Superlab:
The CBS Superlab strives to create a genuine, mutually supportive, motivational, inspirational, connected, and creativity-focused environment. We intend to create a welcoming space for researchers to engage in knowledge transfer and exchange, sharing their passions, ideas, and resources with the wider community.
Mission statement:
The CBS Superlab aims to facilitate high-level discussions around ongoing research in CBS labs internationally that both advances the field and seeks to address some of the recommendations outlined by the ACBS Task Force.
Hosts 2021-2022:
Louise McHugh and Alison Stapleton from University College Dublin, Ireland are the 2021-2022 hosts. Their role will involve reviewing submissions from research labs, selecting labs to present, and inviting labs where there is a specific area of expertise that will benefit the CBS research community.
Who can ‘listen in’? Who will be invited to present?
All ACBS members are invited to attend. An invite will go out via the ACT and RFT list serves. All CBS research labs are invited to submit to present. To be considered a CBS lab, your lab details must be included on the www.contextualscience.org website.
Schedule:
There will be twelve monthly sessions delivered via Zoom beginning from September 8th, 2021 at 8 pm GMT+1. The CBS Superlab will take place on the second Wednesday of every month during this time slot. The first four slots are accounted for. The remaining eight slots are open, and we invite CBS labs internationally to submit to present. Please note, sessions will be recorded and made freely available via the ACBS website here for those who cannot attend live. Detailed session information is here.
Cost:
Free.
Benefits to the presenters:
The CBS Superlab provides presenters with a platform to showcase their ongoing research and engage in high-level, impactful dissemination. Presenters will have the opportunity to both share resources and pose questions to the CBS community, facilitating discussion and problem-solving at a community level that is collaborative, not competitive. Presenters will engage in effective knowledge transfer and exchange, further networking with peers and creating genuine connections with colleagues internationally.
Benefits to the attendees:
Attendees will learn about ongoing research internationally while also engaging in discussions around the ACBS Task Force Report. Attendees will also receive access to materials and resources shared by the presenter.
Recorded Superlab Sessions
Recorded Superlab SessionsSession 1 - Louise McHugh's Lab
Reinvigorating RFT-based rule-governed behavior research presented by Alison Stapleton.
This webinar was held on September 8th, 2021 and you will find the recording here.
Session 2 - Steve Hayes' Lab
Assessing Processes of Change in an Idionomic Fashion presented by Brandon Sanford.
This webinar was held on October 13th, 2021 and you will find the recording here.
Session 3 - Maria Karekla's Lab
Digitalization of CBS based on Task Force research recommendations presented by Pinelopi Konstantinou.
This webinar was held on November 10th, 2021 and you will find the recording here.
Session 4 - Ken Fung's Lab
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Individual and Collective Resilience and Empowerment presented by Jenny Liu.
This webinar was held on December 8th, 2021 and you will find the recording here.
Session 5 - Tom Szabo's Lab
ACT Functional Analysis in ABA Settings presented by Amanda Chastain and Larisa Sheperd.
This webinar was held on January 12th, 2022 and you will find the recording here.
Session 6 - Prosocial World - Paul Atkins and David Sloan Wilson Lab
Catalyzing Conscious Cultural Evolution within ACBS and Beyond presented by David Sloan Wilson.
This webinar was held on February 9th, 2022 and you will find the recording here.
Session 7 - Jordan Belisle Lab
Translational Applications of Relational Density: Gender and Racial Prejudice
This webinar was held on March 9, 2022 and you will find the recording here.
Session 8 - Carmen Luciano's Lab
Analyzing the impact of values-based motivation on experimentally induced generalized avoidance
This webinar was held on May 11, 2022 and you will find the recording here.
Session 9 - Emily Thomas Kroska's Lab
Mobile ACT: A Two Cohort Micro-Randomized Trial
This webinar was held on July 13, 2022 and you will find the recording here.
Session 10 - Emily Sandoz's Lab
The Necessity of Conceptual Analysis in Scientific Advancement and the Example of Contextual Behavioral Science
This webinar was held on August 10, 2022 and you will find the recording here.
Session 11 - Joe Ciarrochi's Lab
A process-based approach to self-compassion: measurement and practice
This webinar was held September 14, 2022 and you will find the recording here.
Session 12 - Joanna Arch's Lab
Leveraging Values to Promote Health Behavior: Promise and Perils
This webinar was held October 12, 2022 and you will find the recording here.
Session 13 - Franciso Ruiz's Lab
Analyzing processes of change in single case experimental designs
This webinar was held November 30, 2022 and you will find the recording here.
Session 14 - Mike Levin's Lab
Lessons and surprises developing, evaluating, and disseminating online ACT
This webinar was held January 25, 2023 and you will find the recording here.
Session 15 - Todd Kashdan
Purpose in Life: A Challenging but Promising Research Agenda
This webinar was held March 29, 2023 and you will find the recording here.
Session 16 - Staci Martin
ACT for People with Chronic Health Conditions
This webinar was held May 10, 2023 and you will find the recording here.
Session 17 - Amie Zarling
ACT-based Approaches to Preventing and Treating Relationship Violence
The webinar was held June 14, 2023 and you will find the recording here
Session 18 - Niklas Törneke
Dig Where You Stand: A possible contribution to bridging the gap between research, theory and clinical practice
The webinar was held September 20, 2023 and you will find the recording here
Session 19 - Robert Johansson
Artificial General Intelligence from a Contextual Behavioral Science Perspective
The webinar was held April 24, 2024 and you will find the recording here
Please note, you must be signed into your ACBS account to access the recordings.
Superlab Registration
Superlab RegistrationWhat is the CBS Superlab?
With the release of the ACBS Task Force Report on the Strategies and Tactics of Contextual Behavioral Science Research, high-level discussion around how to roll out the proposed recommendations is necessary. The CBS Superlab is an international research lab meeting held quarterly via Zoom. These hour-long monthly meetings will involve:
• A presentation that showcases ongoing advances, developments, and innovations in the field of CBS. Each presenter will be invited to share resources relating to their presentation (e.g., PowerPoint slides, handouts, software packages) that will be made available to all attendees. Attendees must be members of ACBS. To attend, you will find registration links here (you must log into your ACBS member account to register).
Register here for Superlab
Register here for SuperlabRegister for the quarterly Superlab meetings here.
Please note, you now only need to register once to attend the meetings (and will receive reminders monthly along with an email with the recording link)