Ratings of high quality interactions by professionals: Similarities despite differences in theoretical orientation

Two groups of mental retardation professionals, one with a behavioral theor etical background and one with an eclectic theoretical background, were ask ed to evaluate the quality of videotaped interactions between direct care s taff and individuals with, mental retardation. A five-point Likert scale co mbined with the Training Proficiency Scale (Watson, 1972) were used to asse ss ID videotaped mealtime interactions. To examine the criteria used for ov erall judgment of quality, scores for the single items were correlated with the overall quality scores of each video. Results indicated that the two g roups were similar in their overall ratings. Implications of these findings , in, terms of myths about professionals from differing orientations, are d iscussed.