The effects of choice on a behavioral intervention for staff members in the group home setting

While group homes seemed to be the ideal solution for the deinstitutionalization movement started in the 1950s, many group homes face significant challenges regarding staffing, and staff training and performance. Organization behavior management (OBM) may offer some solutions to increasing staff performance. Additionally, choice is a topic rarely researched in OBM and applied behavior analytic (ABA) research. The purpose of this study is not only to create a treatment package that increases data collection among group home staff, but also to examine choice, and whether increased choices related to a behavioral intervention package impacts the efficacy of the treatment package. Participants were divided into two groups. The choice group was able to make four decisions regarding the procedures used in the treatment package, while the no choice group had those decisions imposed upon them in the treatment package. The results of the groups were compared. The four-component treatment package was successful in increasing average weekly data collection from 0% during baseline to over 50% in the four weeks of intervention. The choice group performed higher than the no choice group every week of intervention, showing that the minimal effort needed to take choice into consideration in an intervention would be worthwhile.