EXTENDING THE CONCEPT OF SOCIAL VALIDITY: BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS FOR DISEASE PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION

A broader definition of social validity is proposed wherein a socially valid behavior-change intervention is directed to a problem of verifiable importance, the intervention is valued and used appropriately by designated target groups, and the intervention as used has sufficient behavioral impact to substantially reduce the probability of the problem's occurrence in target populations. The verifiable importance of a problem is based on epidemiological data, and the value and appropriate use of an intervention are enhanced through the use of conceptual frameworks for social marketing and behavior change and considerable formative and pilot research. Behavioral impact is assessed through efficacy and effectiveness studies. Thus, the social validity of a behavior-change intervention is established through a number of interactive, a priori steps. This approach to defining social validity is related to critical analysis and intervention issues including individual and population perspectives and “top-down” and “bottom-up” approaches to intervention design. This broader definition of social validity is illustrated by a project to reduce the risk of HIV infection among adolescents. Although the various steps involved in creating socially valid interventions can be complicated, time-consuming, and expensive, following all the steps can result in interventions capable of improving a nation's health.     

A FADED BEDTIME WITH RESPONSE COST PROTOCOL FOR TREATMENT OF MULTIPLE SLEEP PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN

The sleep-wake cycles of 4 developmentally delayed individuals with longstanding severe sleep disturbances were regulated using a faded bedtime procedure with response cost. Bedtimes were systematically delayed for each individual, thus increasing the probability of short latency to sleep onset. The response cost component, consisting of removing the individual from bed for 1 hour, was implemented when an individual did not experience short latency to sleep onset. A fading procedure was then applied successfully to advance the bedtimes and to gradually increase durations of sleep. Specifically, all 4 individuals had decreased amounts of nighttime sleep that increased following treatment. Two of the 4 individuals showed excessive daytime sleep that decreased following treatment. Three of the 4 individuals experienced decreases in night wakings following treatment. Both environmental and biological manipulations of the sleep-wake cycle are hypothesized as mechanisms of treatment. The relative advantages of this procedure over other procedures for the treatment of pediatric sleep disorders are discussed, as are directions for future research.     

Measuring the effectiveness of the Star Parenting Program with parents of young children

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the STAR Parenting Program, designed specifically for parents with children between the ages of 1 and 5 yr. The 8-hr. program was completed by 35 parents. There was a significant increase in parents' favorability and a significant decrease in anxiety afterwards. Parents also significantly lowered their expectations, reduced the emotionality of their reactions to their child's problem behaviors, and increased their use of time-out and tangible rewards following training. These changes were maintained at a 6-wk. follow-up.     

Conservatism and the comprehension of implausible text

An experiment on the comprehension of, and memory for, texts of varying degrees of plausibility is reported. Previous studies on conservatives' art preferences (concerning poetry and music) showed that they favoured works of art that were conventional and relatively simple; this was explained in terms of conservatives' generalised intolerance of ambiguity. The present study sought to extend the previous research by examining conservatives'and non-conservatives' memory of and preferences for texts of varying plausibility. When plausibility is disrupted, texts recount strange, unexpected and ambiguous sequences of actions and events. It was found that conservative subjects' memory for texts of varying plausibility was similar to that of non-conservatives when overall recall is considered, but there was a greater tendency for conservatives to import inferences (novel propositions which had not been present in the original text) into their recall protocols and to distort their recall (although the latter effect is only marginally significant). They also showed much stronger preferences for plausible over implausible texts compared to non-conservatives. These results accord well with the previous findings on art preferences, and were explained in terms of the conservatives seeking to avoid or minimise ambiguity.     

Coping with employment and family stress: Employment arrangement and gender differences

Increasing numbers of families in the United States are supported by two incomes. Families must cope with the changes this lifestyle brings. This study explored how women and men in various employment arrangements experienced and coped with stress. Data from 82 couples, analyzed separately by gender, suggest that women report significantly more stressors than men, whereas employment arrangement did not have an effect. All couples, however, seem to benefit by reframing their problems to make them more manageable. Perceptual changes families may make to cope with stresses imposed by external factors such as inflexible work hours and lack of adequate child care over which they have less control are discussed.This research was supported by grants from the Graduate Research Board and the Division of Human and Community Resources, University of Maryland, College Park.Acknowledgment is extended to the University of Maryland Computer Center and to Ms. Dell Karig, Ms. Kathleen Cohan, and Ms. Lisa Zelazny for their assistance on this project.     

Male-female relationships in the workplace: Perceived motivations in office romance

A survey of 218 recent business school graduates confirmed prior studies of differential evaluation of women involved in workplace romances. The research addressed whether women are still perceived as entering into relationships for motives different from men, particularly in terms of exploiting sexuality for gain. Few instances were found where relationships were formed for personal advancement; however, motivations for personal gain were far more commonly attributed to women. Women were also more likely to be perceived as victims of the office fling. Attributions did not differ between male and female observers. Implications for working women are discussed.     

Practice dating as treatment for college dating inhibitions

Thirty males and 30 females who volunteered for a program to increase dating skills were randomly assigned to a treatment group of six practice dates plus feedback, a treatment group of six practice dates only, or a delayed treatment control group. Within subject-specified constraints of height, age, race, and distance from campus, a computer randomly matched opposite sexed subjects for the six practice dates, each date with a different subject. After each practice date in the feedback condition, subjects completed forms calling for primarily positive comments about the partner. Forms were later exchanged via the experimenter. Outcome was assessed by self-report, self-monitoring, behavioral, and peer rating measures. Results indicated the superiority of treatment conditions over the control condition. Some evidence indicated superiority of the no feedback condition over the feedback condition. Evidence of maintenance of changes over a three-month follow-up period is provided.     

On putting apples into bottles — A problem of polysemy

An experiment was designed in such a manner that a sentence could be recalled given a certain cue only if the subject's encoding of the sentence included details and involved distinctions in the senses of words which could not have been part of the correct dictionary readings for these words. The most plausible interpretation of the results is that comprehension of a sentence entails constructing a particularized and elaborated mental representation, and that this process depends more heavily on knowledge of the world and analysis of context than is generally appreciated. It is claimed that existing associative or semantic network theories would be strained to accommodate the data.