ABSTRACT
Clinical trials are an important component of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) re-
search mission and are an essential step in the development of new agents by the pharma-
ceutical industry. Usually biological interventions (e.g., an experimental medication
for the treatment of hyperactivity) are the focus of such trials, but occasionally
behavioral interventions (e.g., use of behavior therapy for the treatment of hyperactivity)
are tested often in conjunction with a biological intervention (e.g., medication plus
behavior therapy). Compliance is critical because it influences the investigator’s abil-
ity to detect true treatment effects. From this perspective, noncompliance is viewed
as an annoying source of error-something that must be controlled or minimized.
