ABSTRACT
This chapter presents one of the ten steps for successful research of applied behavior analysis. It covers the elements of single-case research design and the practices involved in organizing, implementing, and evaluating research studies. A key step in planning any behavior analysis research is making sure that the study has social validity. Social validity measures can be used both in the initial planning stages of a study and as an evaluation tool at the end. Social validation would help determine which behaviors to include in a training package. Social validation measures could be used to determine what the participants thought of the methods or results. The overall goal of social validation is to guarantee that the behavior analyst researcher is working on a "problem of social importance". Actual habilitative validity is important because this is the measure of the actual treatment outcome rather than simply the verbal report of the participant.
