ABA glossary
Procedural integrity
Also called treatment integrity, procedural fidelity, treatment fidelity
Definition
The extent to which an intervention is carried out as planned and described, with no unplanned procedures added. Also called treatment integrity, treatment fidelity, or procedural fidelity.
In plain words
A plan can only be judged if it was actually run as written. If an RBT skips steps, delivers reinforcement late, or adds prompts that are not in the plan, the data reflect a different intervention from the one on paper. Integrity is usually measured with a checklist of the plan's steps and reported as a percentage of steps done correctly. Low integrity is a reason to retrain or simplify, not to conclude that the plan failed.
Example from a session
During an observation, the BCBA uses a 20-step checklist for Kai's discrete-trial program. The RBT completed 18 of 20 steps correctly: she missed 2 of the 20 steps; on both, she repeated the instruction before prompting, which the program does not include. Integrity is 18 ÷ 20 × 100 = 90%. The BCBA gives feedback on the repeated instructions, and the RBT practices the correct sequence before the next session.
For BCBA candidates and supervisors
Analysts select an integrity measure that captures the relevant dimensions, such as accuracy of each component and dosage (how much intervention the client actually received), and that fits the setting's constraints. Per-component scores show which step needs retraining. Integrity data guide decisions: poor outcomes with high integrity suggest changing the plan, while poor outcomes with low integrity suggest improving implementation first. Watch for treatment drift, the gradual, unplanned change in delivery over time, and design plans that caregivers and staff can realistically carry out.
Often confused with interobserver agreement, treatment drift
Procedural integrity asks whether the intervention was implemented as written; IOA asks whether two observers recorded the behavior the same way. A session can have perfect IOA and poor integrity. Treatment drift is one cause of low integrity: an unplanned, gradual change in how the plan is delivered.
Exam tip
When a stem says progress stalled and the plan was not run as written, the answer is to address integrity (retrain, simplify, monitor), not to change the intervention. Integrity is about the implementer's behavior, not the client's.
Can you spot procedural integrity in a scenario?
Practice RBT A.8 with exam-style questions and instant feedback.