| Abstract: | The acceptability of behavioral procedures has been examined with many groups of individuals that have significant roles in the lives of persons with mental retardation. However, for those individuals that live in public residential facilities, one critical person in the decision making process is the superintendent. The purpose of this study was to assess the acceptability of treatments to superintendents of public residential facilities. Using the Treatment Evaluation Inventory (Kazdin, 1980), superintendents rated the acceptability of five treatments (DRO, Time-out, medication, overcorrection and contingent shock) applied to a mild and severe behavior problem. The results showed a significant main effect for treatment and problem and a problem by treatment interaction. Acceptability was inversely related to treatment restrictiveness and, except for differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO), all treatments were more acceptable for the severe problem than for the mild problem. |
