Measuring Generality and Social Validity in Single Case Research

In their seminal paper, Baer et al. (1968) described seven dimensions of behavioral research. Two important qualities were (1) outcomes of such work should possess generality—behavior change which persists following treatment termination, at the times and in the locations in which such change is needed; and should be (2) applied—dependent variables targeted for change should be socially important. Soon after, the concept of social validity, or “the extent to which all the consumers of an intervention like it” (p. 322; Baer et al., 1987), was identified as being important for single case research in the behavioral sciences (e.g., Baer et al., 1987; Kazdin, 1977; Wolf, 1978). The purpose of this chapter is to: (1) introduce each of these concepts, (2) describe how they have historically been measured and studied, (3) highlight challenges to their valid assessment, and (4) propose methods through which they might be studied, in the service of a technology of generality and social validity.