The Role of Self-Efficacy and Autonomy Support in School Psychologists’ Use of ABA

Abstract

The most recent version of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) emphasizes research-based intervention in the school setting. Administrators expect school psychologists to lead initiatives introducing interventions and techniques derived from scientific approaches, such as applied behavior analysis (ABA). However, in the field of school psychology, the use and possible barriers of ABA are largely unknown. The study’s purpose was to gather data to evaluate whether self-efficacy and autonomy support mediate the relationship between school psychologists’ training and reported use of ABA. Participants included 405 practicing school psychologists who provided information about their training and completed measures of self-efficacy, autonomy support, and reported practice. Structural equation modeling revealed that training predicted reported ABA practice, and these direct relationships were mediated by self-efficacy. Autonomy support was related to both training and reported practice but did not mediate the association between them. Although ABA training for school psychologists is increasing, results provide preliminary support for the mediating relationship between a school psychologists’ perception of self-efficacy for ABA and the use of ABA in practice. In addition to traditional training and coursework, findings suggest that practicing school psychologists need opportunities in the field to enhance their self-efficacy related to the practice of ABA.