Staff members' prediction of consequences for their work in residential settings

Staff members supporting people with mental retardation in residential care were given scenarios describing tasks they might carry out and asked what would happen if they did, or failed to do, them (i.e., who would notice, what would their reaction be). Only a minority reported strong, certain consequences for anything they did from residents, families, or external professionals. Although a majority reported consequences from managers or coworkers, a large minority did not. The tasks for which most staff members reported consequences were administration, followed by enabling residents. Results suggest that staff members who give priority to administration may be responding to the contingencies established by their managers and that a shift in priorities may be required to improve staff members' interactions with clients.