A Descriptive Assessment of Social Validity Source, Timing, and Direct Consumer Inclusion in Behavior Analytic Research
Most ABA studies still leave consumers with disabilities out of social-validity checks—invite them in from the start.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Huntington et al. (2024) read every social-validity report they could find in behavior analytic journals. They coded who answered the questions, when the questions were asked, and whether people with disabilities had a voice.
The team looked at tools researchers built themselves and checked if consumers with disabilities were included.
What they found
Most papers used author-made checklists at one time point only. The very people the study was meant to help were often left out of the survey.
The review shows a pattern: researchers talk about social validity, but rarely ask the consumers.
How this fits with other research
Leif et al. (2024) counted 160 JABA studies and saw the same thin use of social validity. The two 2024 reviews are direct replications: both find post-study Likert scales dominate the field.
Kennedy (1992) saw the same gap 32 years ago. The new data update that baseline and show little has changed.
Allen et al. (2024) give the fix. Their neurodiversity paper says ask Autistic clients directly and use identity-first language. Huntington’s findings supply the reason you need that fix.
Vollmer et al. (2025) push the next step: build social validity into ongoing self-audits instead of one-off ratings.
Why it matters
If you write a treatment plan, run a parent training, or supervise RBTs, this review is a wake-up call. Stop using home-made social-validity forms at discharge only. Invite your client to co-create the questions, ask early and often, and write their answers into your report. You will meet ethics code 4.09, honor neurodiversity values, and know in real time if your intervention actually matters to the person receiving it.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is the application of behavioral principles to affect socially important behavior change with social importance, or social validity, being defined by the consumers of the intervention. (Schwartz & Baer, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis 24, 189–204, 1991) provided several suggestions to improve the implementation of the social validity assessment including engaging in ongoing assessment, increasing the type and psychometric rigor of social validity measures, and extending participation in the social validity assessment to include direct and indirect consumers. The purpose of this article is to explore the current implementation of social validity assessments used in behavioral research. This article also explores key demographics among consumers with disabilities and/or mental health disorders who are included and excluded from social validity assessments. The most common social validity assessment source was author-created and implemented at a single time point. In addition, consumers with disabilities were often excluded from the social validity assessments. The implications of the social validity assessment implementation and consumer exclusion are discussed.
Perspectives on Behavior Science, 2024 · doi:10.1007/s40614-024-00401-9