Acceptability of alternative treatments for persons with mental retardation: ratings from institutional and community-based staff.

The acceptability of four behavior modification procedures to direct-care and supervisory staff members of community-based (Experiment 1) and institutional (Experiment 2) facilities for persons with mental retardation was evaluated. Using the Treatment Evaluation Inventory (Kazdin, 1980a), staff members rated differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO), time-out, overcorrection, and contingent shock, each applied to a mild and a severe behavior problem. Results from both experiments showed that treatments were rated according to their restrictiveness; DRO was most acceptable, followed by time-out, overcorrection, and shock. There was also a problem by treatment interaction in each experiment. No differences were found between the ratings of direct-care and supervisory staff members in either study. Results were discussed in relation to previous treatment acceptability research.