Group effect on parental rating of acceptability of behavioral management techniques used in pediatric dentistry

The rating of acceptability by parents either in groups of five or alone of behavior management techniques (BMT) displayed in videotaped vignettes was studied. Ratings of acceptability of the techniques for use on "a" vs. "their" child also were evaluated. Sixty parents were divided randomly into two groups (A and B). For Group A, six groups of five parents viewed a videotape containing eight BMT. All parents in Group B viewed the same videotape individually. Following the presentation of each BMT, the parents were requested to rate the technique for acceptability using a visual analogue scale (VAS). One half of Groups A and B were told to rate the acceptability of each BMT for use on "a" child. The remaining parents in Groups A and B were told to rate the acceptability for "their" child. The results indicated that there were no significant differences between groups (groupings of five vs. alone) or "their" and "a" child ratings. However, there was a consistent trend for those in groups to rate BMT as less acceptable than those rating alone. The implications of these findings are discussed in reference to findings of previous studies.