Sammendrag:

Vollmer and Pendergrass (2025) recently provided commentary on the implications of social validity in contemporary applied behavior analysis. In the current presentation, Dr. Vollmer will extend this discussion by showing specific examples of challenging decisions related to social validation. Social validity (Wolf, 1978) refers to the extent to which goals, procedures, and outcomes are acceptable to consumers. Wolf’s seminal introduction to social validity remains crucial for present-day research and practice. However, it is difficult at times to ascertain who should be considered the consumer (e.g., Parent? Child? Teacher?), and to identify boundaries and guidelines for social validation. By way of medical analogy, a child may actively dissent receiving stitches as treatment for a severe wound, but a parent and physician agree there is medical necessity and that stitches are needed in the patient’s longer-term best interest. Similarly, behavior analysts face challenges with many goals (e.g., oral hygiene, self-feeding, bedtime management, classroom management) where a client may dissent, but others consent based on perception of the client’s longer-term best interest. Also, procedures (e.g., escape extinction) and outcomes (e.g., less than perfect behavior change) can be controversial and require special consideration when social validation is balanced. Examples from clinical cases and behavioral research will be described.

Sammendrag:

Mye av det som gjøres og skrives rundt sosial validitet og akseptabilitet handler om å samle inn ulike lokale interessenters synspunkter på foreslåtte tiltak og tiltak som allerede er i gang. Typisk spør man foreldre, nærpersoner og personale. Dersom interessentene går god for tiltaket har vi oppnådd det vi kan kalle "lokal enighet". Å bygge etiske evalueringer på lokal enighet av denne typen har noen velkjente utfordringer. Blant disse er manglende etisk forestillingsevne og endringer i begreper om hva som er greit og ikke.

Jeg vil foreslå noen atferdsmål som kan komme i tillegg til lokal enighet og som kan hjelpe oss å sikre tiltakenes etiske standard og sosiale validitet.

Sammendrag:

User involvement is a legally mandated right in Norway and affirms the right to be involved in one’s own treatment. Social validity assesses whether interventions are perceived as useful and acceptable. Together, they can help ensure that health and social services are tailored to individual needs and societal values.
Social validity is typically based on stakeholders’ subjective opinions. Unfortunately, assessments are most often collected from parents and close caregivers, and less commonly from the users themselves. Many users may be young, have communication difficulties, or an intellectual disability, which makes this especially challenging. An attempt to develop a measurement tool to gauge social validity from users themselves proved difficult; these challenges will be highlighted, and possible solutions discussed.