In applied behavior analysis, the term social validity is often used as a synonym for satisfaction ratings even though the concept of social validity includes much more than that. Parents, teachers, and others involved in the treatment are often asked for their opinions on goals, methods used, and the outcomes. These data are extremely important. It is quite possible for the objective data to look great, but — if the parent doesn’t agree with the goals, the teacher in the classroom isn’t happy with your methods, the staff don’t like your supervision, or the funder doesn’t thinks the outcomes are significant enough — it is only a matter of time before we run into trouble. The problem is that people sometimes don’t tell you when they are unhappy. Therefore, soliciting the feedback from all the relevant stakeholders is very important to a successful treatment.
On the other hand, it is easy to get caught up in a positive reinforcement feedback loop. I’ve seen many situations where a client isn’t doing very well, yet all the stakeholders seem happy with the services being provided. Sometimes we work with clients living in low socioeconomic conditions who simply have low expectations. The BCBA might think there is no urgency to Poogi as everyone is very satisfied with what they are doing in the moment. Despite not doing much, the parent, teachers, and others are heaping huge praise on them. Everyone responds to reinforcement.
The problem is that (in my experience) satisfaction ratings can change dramatically over time. Many parents with adult children wish they did more to prepare during the teenage years even though they were very happy with the services at the time. Many parents in early intervention programs were very happy at the time, but only later become disillusioned with the services when they learn other things that might have been provided. It’s bad for the individual client and bad for the profession as a whole. Don’t be satisfied with satisfaction.
Of course, we want parents to be satisfied. That’s essential. But we also have to be effective. They are not the same. For BCBAs, effective does not mean simply that the parents are satisfied or that the behavior has changed. It means that the intervention made a socially significant difference in the person’s life. It is quite possible to have one, but not the other. It is essential that you have both.