Barriers to Implementing Treatment Integrity Procedures in School Psychology Research

Abstract

Treatment integrity data are essential to drawing valid conclusions in treatment outcome studies. Such data, however, are not always included in peer-reviewed research articles in school psychology or related fields. To gain a better understanding of why treatment integrity data are lacking in the school psychology research, we surveyed the authors of the 210 treatment outcome articles published in four school psychology journals from 1995 through 2008 regarding their perceptions of barriers to implementing treatment integrity procedures. Results indicated that (a) lack of theory and specific guidelines on treatment integrity procedures; (b) lack of general knowledge about treatment integrity; (c) time, cost, and labor demands; and (d) lack of editorial requirement were broadly perceived as barriers by school psychology researchers to implementing treatment integrity procedures. Implications for future research are discussed.