4 - Social Validity Assessment

Abstract

Social validity refers to the social significance of intervention goals, social acceptability of intervention procedures, and social importance of effects (Kazdin, 1977. Behavior Modification, 1, 427; Wolf, 1978. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 11, 203–214). Assessing social validity is an important component of applied behavioral analytic inquiry. By assessing social validity, practicing professionals are empowered to revise and refine interventions with positive outcomes. In this chapter, we defined the term social validity and offered behavioral practitioners pragmatic direction and recommendations regarding social validity assessment. We provided a concise discussion of the history of social validity, explaining how the assessment of social validity became—and continues to be—a priority in the field of applied behavior analysis. Then, we focused on practical applications of social validity: (1) the importance of assessing social validity at each level of prevention, (2) the importance of assessing social validity from all stakeholders involved in any intervention effort, and (3) the range of methods for measuring social validity. We concluded with a summary of practical guidelines, noting salient essential learning from this chapter.