Foundation 1
Established research traditions
Decades of psychological research illuminate the roles of beliefs, emotions, goals, behaviour, physiology, monitoring and feedback.
Evidence and research
A new methodology built on established psychological science.
ABA integrates major psychological traditions concerned with beliefs, emotion, behaviour, goal pursuit, self-regulation, physiology and feedback into a coherent methodology for meaningful change.
Early cohort application has contributed practice-based insight, while a formal research programme provides the structure for continued evaluation, refinement and publication.
Foundation 2
Integrated ABA methodology
ABA organises these areas through nine ordered principles and a repeatable sequence of direction, action, tracking and review.
Foundation 3
Active research development
Early cohort experience and a defined research agenda create a disciplined pathway for evaluation, learning and scholarly collaboration.
Selected research foundations
Peer-reviewed work relevant to the ABA framework.
Together, these sources show the depth of established research surrounding the major psychological processes that ABA brings into one practical system.
01
Beliefs, agency and behavioural change
Core beliefs · action · personal agency
Bandura’s self-efficacy theory established a major psychological account of how beliefs about capability influence effort, persistence and behavioural change.
Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review. DOI: 10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191
Open source record — Bandura (1977), foundational theory paper02
Understanding and regulating emotion
Emotional states · emotions · flexible response
Emotion-regulation research shows the importance of recognising emotional processes and drawing on a flexible repertoire of strategies across changing situations.
Integrating emotion regulation and emotional intelligence traditions: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00160
Open source record — Peña-Sarrionandia et al. (2015), meta-analysis03
Behaviour as a pathway to change
Observable behaviour · action · momentum
Behavioural activation research provides a substantial evidence base for the disciplined use of planned, observable behaviour as an important pathway in psychological change.
Randomized trial of behavioral activation, cognitive therapy, and antidepressant medication in the acute treatment of adults with major depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. DOI: 10.1037/0022-006X.74.4.658
Open source record — Dimidjian et al. (2006), randomized controlled trial04
Goals, direction and commitment
Meaningful direction · goals · deliberate choice
Decades of goal-setting research demonstrate the value of clarity, commitment, feedback and appropriately challenging goals in organising purposeful performance.
Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. American Psychologist. DOI: 10.1037/0003-066X.57.9.705
Open source record — Locke & Latham (2002), integrative review05
Turning intention into action
Strategies · next actions · implementation
Implementation-intention research examines how specific if–then plans help translate valued intentions into behaviour when relevant situations arise.
Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. DOI: 10.1016/S0065-2601(06)38002-1
Open source record — Gollwitzer & Sheeran (2006), meta-analysis06
Monitoring progress
Tracking · feedback · goal attainment
Experimental evidence indicates that monitoring progress can strengthen goal attainment, particularly when progress is recorded and connected to meaningful outcomes.
Does monitoring goal progress promote goal attainment? A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence. Psychological Bulletin. DOI: 10.1037/bul0000025
Open source record — Harkin et al. (2016), meta-analysis07
Feedback and reflective improvement
Review · recalibration · contextual learning
Outcome-monitoring research demonstrates how structured feedback can support reflective improvement and highlights the importance of context, responsiveness and implementation.
Understanding the differential impact of outcome monitoring: Therapist variables that moderate feedback effects in a randomized clinical trial. Psychotherapy Research. DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2012.673023
Open source record — de Jong et al. (2012), randomized clinical trial08
Physiology and state regulation
Physiology · autonomic regulation · state
A systematic review and meta-analysis of voluntary slow breathing documents measurable effects on heart rate and heart-rate variability, reinforcing the relevance of physiology to state regulation.
Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: A systematic review and a meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104711
Open source record — Laborde et al. (2022), systematic review and meta-analysisABA evidence roadmap
From strong foundations to a growing body of ABA research.
Codification, evaluation, refinement and publication create a research culture capable of strengthening the methodology over time.
01
Codify
Maintain clear constructs, consistent terminology and version-controlled methodology.
02
Evaluate
Study usability, engagement, process, outcomes and implementation across relevant settings.
03
Extend
Use cohort learning and formal research to refine measures, delivery and professional training.
04
Publish
Contribute protocols, findings, limitations and methodological development to scientific dialogue.
Invitation to researchers
Rigorous challenge is part of the work.
ABA welcomes collaboration on construct definition, psychometrics, feasibility, implementation science, study design and responsible evaluation across personal, professional and institutional contexts.
A growing research library
- Beliefs, agency and behavioural change
- Emotion recognition and flexible regulation
- Goal setting and implementation intentions
- Progress monitoring and reflective feedback
- Physiology and state regulation
Standards for ABA research
- Clearly defined constructs and research questions
- Appropriate ethics, consent and privacy governance
- Transparent methods and declared conflicts of interest
- Meaningful process, outcome and implementation measures
- Publication of findings, limitations and corrections
Continue the conversation
Contribute to the next generation of ABA research.
Researchers, journal editors, practitioners, institutions and funders are invited into a rigorous programme of evaluation and development.