Evaluating Social Validity to Inform Intervention Development: Qualitative Analysis of Caregiver Interviews.

Evaluating social validity of interventions is paramount to the applied dimension of applied behavior analysis, but in research contexts, social validity is frequently assessed only after an intervention has concluded. The present study sought to evaluate the social validity of a proposed intervention prior to intervention development through qualitative analysis of interviews with stakeholders. We interviewed ten caregivers of children with autism about their experiences and challenges engaging in play with their children.

Program Characteristics and Certification Examination Pass Rates: A Statistical Analysis of BACB-Published 2015-2019 Data.

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) annually publishes data on the pass rates of institutions with verified course sequences (VCS). The current study analyzed BACB-published data from the years 2015-2019 and explored relations among program mode, number of first-time candidates, and examination pass rates. In a correlation analysis of number of first-time candidates and pass rates, there was a weak negative correlation, indicating that larger numbers of first-time candidates are associated with lower pass rates.