From frontline observations to experimental analysis: a reverse translational investigation of staff behavior in residential care settings

Most adolescent residential facilities aim to provide a supportive and therapeutic environment; however, researchers and clinicians across disciplines acknowledge that these efforts can sometimes fall short. In the following experiments, we leveraged a translational approach to investigate the nuances of discrete staff-to-resident interactions we detected through direct observations in one residential facility. Understanding how staff respond to residents’ behaviors may offer valuable insights for enhancing staff support and improving interventions. Experiment 1 tested how simulated pre-shift events affected participants responses to resident behavior. Emotion induction did not alter responding, but exposure to problem behavior impacted later responses. Experiment 2 replicated the first study without emotion induction. As with Experiment 1, results indicated prior exposure to problem behavior impacted subsequent responding. Lastly, Experiment 3 introduced two residents to the same simulation. Experiment 3 suggested that responding to one resident’s problem behavior did not increase fines for the second resident’s problem behavior but it increased rewards for the second resident’s appropriate behavior. We discuss implications and next steps in this process.