Two groups of mental retardation professionals, one with a behavioral theoretical background and one with an eclectic theoretical background, were asked to evaluate the quality of videotaped interactions between direct care staff and individuals with mental retardation. A five-point Likert scale combined with the Training Proficiency Scale (Watson, 1972) were used to assess 10 videotaped mealtime interactions. To examine the criteria used for overall judgment of quality, scores for the single items were correlated with the overall quality scores of each video. Results indicated that the two groups were similar in their overall ratings. Implications of these findings, in terms of myths about professionals from differing orientations, are discussed.
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