This paper discusses the practice of social validity assessment in applied behavior analysis, proposes elements that should be included in state-of-the art assessment procedures, offers a taxonomy of consumers to guide the construction and circulation of assessments, and suggests strategies to improve social validity assessment. (JDD)

A year-long case study of the effects of an educational and vocational rehabilitation program in a youth training center was discussed in terms of fourteen issues which might threaten the validity of an evaluation or research project. This correctional institution housed women aged 14 to 21 who were long-term wards of the state, held on remand, or…

This paper argues that many social validity processes in applied behavior analysis are actually measuring consumer satisfaction and not the habilitative validity of goals, procedures, or outcomes. The term "habilitative validation" is proposed to replace social validity, and use of more objective assessment methods is encouraged.…

The mood-dependent retrieval hypothesis states that mood will enhance recall by acting as a recall cue if the stimuli have been learned initially in the same mood. Material learned in a happy mood will be best recalled when the person returns to a happy mood; the same holds for a sad mood. Mood-dependent retrieval effect has been regulary…

This paper addresses a variation of the traditional validity question asked of qualitative researchers. Here the question is not "How do we know the qualitative researcher's question is valid?" but rather, "How does the qualitative researcher choose from among a multitude of apparently valid or at least plausible…

This article critiques the previous research of Miller and Watson (1992) which concluded there were no significant differences between stutterers and nonstutterers on measures of anxiety or depression. It notes confounding effects of previous treatment, self-diagnosis, and low number of subjects. It then offers guidelines for conducting more valid…

This response to Ashley Craig's critique (EC 608 043) of the authors' research (which found no significant differences on measures of anxiety and depression between stutterers and nonstutterers) refutes Craig's claim that results were confounded by subjects' previous treatment, self-diagnosis, and low number. (DB)

Highlights issues and controversies concerning current race-related educational research. Contends that some critics believe research sacrifices empirical objectivity for political goals. Partisan research supporters respond that all research begins with untested assumptions and an acknowledgment of purpose does not signify a skewed methodology.…

Psychology stands in the paradoxical position of adhering to outmoded conceptions of knowledge while being looked upon as providing an instrument for a more adequate conception. Cognitive psychology's schema theory provides a conceptual equivalent to Kuhn's learned perception of similarity and the related notion of exemplar, which serves to…

Adopting the position, expressed by A. P. Bochner in his critique of small group communication research, that placing measurement in a secondary role increases the danger of accepting the claims of experiments with excessive error, this paper examines nine current quantitative small-group communication studies. Using a schema developed by J. F.…

Challenges the typical treatment of causal effects in longitudinal data, arguing that models should be conceptualized and tested in ways that directly reflect prior assumptions as to the trait- or state-like nature of the variables. Examples demonstrate that meaningful longitudinal studies of state variables can be conducted without assuming their…

Criticizes and examines the motives behind Charles Murray's "The Bell Curve." Murray's book claimed that many social problems, including crime and poverty among blacks, could be explained by African Americans' lack of intelligence as evidenced by testing. Reveals the book's skewed methodology as well as its interest-guided financial…

This study examined the comparative validity of rating scale, structured interview, descriptive observation, and experimental functional analysis approaches to the assessment of the problem behaviors of three young children with autism. The results indicated good agreement across indirect and direct methods. (Contains references.) (Author/DB)

This review evaluates research on the treatment of challenging behavior in school settings for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Electronic database searches were carried out to identify studies published between 1995 and 2005. Twenty-six studies were identified. A variety of procedures were implemented in these studies to decrease…

Criticizes an earlier essay that questioned the validity of contemporary educational research practices, especially those involving experimentation. Argues that research using experimentation is valid and can lead to new and generalizable knowledge. (FMW)