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| Advances in Social Validity: Considerations for Assent and Percent Reduction in Challenging Behavior |
| Saturday, May 24, 2025 |
| 12:00 PM–12:50 PM |
| Marriott Marquis, M4 Level, Capitol & Congress |
| Area: DDA/AUT; Domain: Translational |
| Chair: Sarah Slocum (Marcus Autism Center and Emory School of Medicine) |
| Discussant: Mindy Christine Scheithauer (Marcus Autism Center) |
| CE Instructor: Sarah Slocum, Ph.D. |
| Abstract: As behavior analysts, there may be times we go through the motions of research or clinical practice. We may always obtain parental consent (rather than considering client assent as well) or aim to reduce challenging behavior by an arbitrarily decided-upon 80%. The current symposium will present three evaluations challenging the status quo in these areas. The first presentation will speak to research methods among Western countries in relation to caregiver consent and client assent with young children. The second study will provide some translational data regarding our ability to detect treatment effects from various percent reductions in challenging behavior. Finally, the third speaker will present caregiver acceptance ratings for various percent reductions in challenging behavior to validate (or invalidate) the commonly used goal of reducing challenging behavior by 80%. This symposium will offer examples of three disparate approaches highlighting the need for more researchers to ask questions related to issues of social validity. |
| Instruction Level: Basic |
| Keyword(s): assent, percent reduction, social validity |
| Target Audience: The only prerequisite skill is to understand what consent versus assent is and have an understanding of challenging behavior. |
Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the difference between caregiver consent and client assent.
2. Consider the level of percent reduction in challenging behavior is appropriate under different conditions.
3. Consider how social validity can be incorporated into their research and clinical practice. |
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| Detecting Treatment Changes: A Parametric Analysis |
| (Basic Research) |
| JESSICA L BECRAFT (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Kissel Joseph Goldman (Kennedy Krieger Institute) |
| Abstract: Caregivers and others responsible for initiating, maintaining, or paying for behavioral treatments often play a critical role in determining their effectiveness. If they are unable to perceive the effects of the treatment, they may be reluctant to continue it. However, the precision with which caregivers can detect changes in behavior remains unclear. This study aimed to manipulate one quantifiable dimension of behavior change (i.e., rate) and evaluate its impact on detection of treatment effects. Fifty-five college students and caregivers watched scripted 1-minute videos of a child displaying aggression. After each video, participants indicated whether they believed treatment was in place. The rate of aggression varied between 0 and 10, with participants watching until they identified the largest whole number difference from 10. Results showed that a 70% reduction in aggression was necessary for most participants (71%) to detect a treatment effect. These findings highlight the importance of aligning treatment goals with caregiver expectations. |
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Assessment of Social Validity of Treatment Outcomes |
| (Applied Research) |
| MELISSA LEE HINES (Marcus Autism Center), Jennifer M. Hodnett (Marcus Autism Center and Emory School of Medicine), Lindsay Lloveras (Marcus Autism Center), Sarah Slocum (Marcus Autism Center and Emory School of Medicine) |
| Abstract: The current literature focusing on the social validity of the commonly used goal of an 80% reduction from baseline rates of responding is scarce to non-existent. However, this goal may be fairly arbitrary. In this study, we showed caregiver participants videos of three clients who engaged in challenging behavior in the form of aggression. Specifically, we showed caregiver participants exemplar videos of baseline sessions as well as various levels of reduction from baseline rates. We selected 50%, 80%, and 95% reductions in challenging behavior as our comparison. After each reduction exemplar video, the caregiver participants completed a rating scale to measure the acceptability of the behavior and the improvement from baseline. Data from this study showed mixed results both supporting and opposing the use of an 80% reduction in aggressive behavior as a socially valid goal for treatment outcome. It is likely the acceptability of various degrees of percent reduction is linked to idiosyncrasies among other variables such as severity or intensity of challenging behavior, the presentation of challenging behavior as a burst versus spread out, and more. |
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