Social and Ecological Validity of the Good Behavior Game: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a classroom management intervention that utilizes group contingencies to address an array of student behavior. Despite numerous reviews and a substantial literature base, there has not yet been a thorough examination of the social and ecological validity of the GBG. Thus, the purpose of this literature review is to examine the social and ecological validity of this intervention and identify how researchers can better integrate these concepts into GBG research. Our search identified 51 articles meeting final inclusion criteria. These were individually coded to identify how researchers incorporate social and ecological validity into the GBG, and how stakeholders perceive the social validity of the intervention. Results suggest that the social validity of the goals of the GBG was primarily assessed via informal conversation prior to the study, while procedures and outcomes were primarily measured via implementer and student survey after the intervention, with few examples of alternative methods. Survey results suggest high social validity for implementers and mixed results for students. Suggestions for improved social and ecological validity in research practices are discussed. These include clearly reporting collaboration efforts, including direct and ongoing measures of social validity, and evaluating generalization and maintenance.