The Social Validity Manual

Social Validity is a concept used in behavioral intervention research. It focuses on whether the goals of treatment, the intervention techniques used, and the outcomes achieved are acceptable, relevant, and useful to the individual in treatment. The Social Validity Manual, 2e, provides background on the development of social validity, an overview of current research in social validity, and guidelines for expanding the practice of social validation. The book offers detailed information on scales and methods for measuring social validity across the goals, procedures, and effects of treatments utilized in various fields. The second edition incorporates advances in research findings and offers two new chapters on the use of social validity in the health sciences and how social validity plays an important role in increasing cultural awareness.

• Defines and conceptualizes social validity
• Summarizes research advances in social validity
• Compares and contrasts social validity measures 
• Includes use of social validity in multiple disciplines
• Reviews how to organize social validity data
• Provides new coverage of use in health professions

Clinical practitioners in psychology; Researchers in clinical psychology; Secondary audience of health practitioners

1. Background of Social Validity
2. Conceptualizations of Social Validity
3. Instruments and Methods for Evaluating Social Validity
4. Research on Social Validity
5. Increasing the Social Significance of Treatment Goals
6. Enhancing the Appropriateness of Treatment Procedures
7. Improving the Importance of Treatment Effects
8. Social Validity and Ethics
9. Social Validity and Cultural Competence
10. Social Validity in Health Sciences
11. Organization of Social Validity Data
12. The Future of Social Validity