A Systematic Review of Social Validity Trends in Behavior Analytic Research on Major Neurocognitive Disorder

Social validity is at the heart of applied behavior analysis, examining the extent to which the goals, interventions, and effects of a given treatment are satisfactory to treatment recipients and relevant stakeholders (Wolf, 1978). While social validity measures are critical to include across all populations, persons with Major Neurocognitive Disorder (MND) (formerly Dementia) (Emmady et al., 2022) warrant heightened attention, given both the increasing population of those living with MND and the progressive nature of the disease (WHO, 2023). The current systematic literature review therefore sought to assess the extent to which these measures are being included in behavioral treatments for persons with MND. A search was conducted via PsycINFO to assess the extent to which social validity was reported in studies that were experimental, English-language, published before February 2024, and used a behavioral intervention to alter the behavior of a person with MND, even if not published in a behavior analytic journal. All articles were assessed across a number of measures (e.g., type of journal, experimental design), including if and what type of measure of social validity was included. A total of 86 studies were identified, of which only 38 included any measure of social validity. Behavior analytic journals demonstrated fewer measures of social validity than non-behavior analytic journals. Of the 35 studies published in behavior analytic journals, only 14 included a measure of social validity. Limitations include possible missed articles and low interrater reliability in some areas. Since behavioral interventions must be both effective and meaningful to stakeholders, these findings indicate a gap in best behavior analytic practice for persons with MND.