Function and Context:

The Roots of ACT’s Wisdom

If you’ve ever asked why someone does what they do—or why you do what you do—you’ve already touched the edge of behavioral science. The answers, as it turns out, live in two of the most essential (but often overlooked) concepts in our field: function and context.

And once you see through that lens, everything changes.

These aren’t just academic terms—they’re the bedrock of how we understand human behavior in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and why ACT takes the stance it does. This article unpacks these ideas and introduces the powerful worldview that underpins them: functional contextualism.

What We Do (and Why It Matters)

Let’s start with function.