Acceptability of Behavioral Treatments: Review of Variables That Influence Treatment Selection

Researchers interested in teachers' choices of classroom interventions have begun to amass evidence about several variables relevant to the treatment selection stage of consultative interactions between psychologists and teachers. Variables of primary importance include psychologists' jargon and rationales for treatment, teachers' philosophy about behavior changes, teachers' personal resources, and of course the severity of the target child's problem. Thus the central purpose of this article was to review 20 recent empirical investigations concerning teachers' acceptability of behavioral treatments for misbehaving school children. This review focused on teachers' reactions to treatments, but because children's and psychologists' reactions to treatments have the potential to influence teachers' reactions, they also were reviewed. In addition to a detailed presentation of conceptual issues and research methods concerning treatment acceptability, the review is concluded with a pragmatic discussion of the major findings for the practice of behavioral consultation.