Overview

Applied Behavior Analysis is the science of applying experimentally derived principles of behavior to improve socially significant behavior. The research and application of ABA contributes to a wide range of practical areas, including AIDS prevention, education, gerontology, language acquisition and parenting, and ABA-based interventions have gained particular popularity in the last 20 years related to teaching students with autism spectrum disorders. Social Validity, a concept used in such behavioral intervention research, focuses on whether the goals of treatment, the intervention techniques used and the outcomes achieved are acceptable, relevant, and useful to the individual in treatment. This book provides background on the development of social validity, an overview of current research in social validity, and guidelines for expanding the practice of social validation within numerous specialized fields of expertise. The book offers detailed information on scales and methods for measuring social validity across the goals, procedures, and effects of treatments utilized in various fields. This second edition incorporates recent research findings and offers two new chapters on the use of social validity in the health sciences and how social validity plays an important role in increasing cultural awareness. Defines and conceptualizes social validity Summarizes recent research findings in social validity Identifies instruments and methods for measuring social validity Compares and contrasts social validity measures Includes use of social validity in multiple disciplines Reviews how to organize social validity data Two new chapters on SV for cultural awareness and in the health professions