Examination of Ethical Decision-Making Models Across Disciplines: Common Elements and Application to the Field of Behavior Analysis
Nine plain steps link the BACB Code to field-tested ethics models you can use today.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Suarez et al. (2023) hunted for ethical decision-making models. They found 55 models from medicine, psychology, and other fields.
They read every model and listed the steps each one uses. Then they checked those steps against the BACB Ethics Code.
What they found
Nine steps showed up in almost every model. The steps run from "spot the problem" to "act and check results."
The same nine steps map onto the BACB Code’s own wording. That means the Code already follows worldwide best practice.
How this fits with other research
Graber et al. (2019) warned that BACB language on punishment can feel vague. Suarez et al. answer that worry by showing the Code’s steps match clear, tested models.
Austin et al. (2024) push for trauma-informed care. Their ethical call fits inside the same nine-step frame Suarez found, so the frame leaves room for new needs.
Burney et al. (2024) teach how to add qualitative questions. You can plug those questions into the "gather information" step without breaking the model.
Why it matters
You now have a simple checklist that works in any setting. Walk through the nine steps when you face a tough call—billing, boundary, or treatment. It keeps your report aligned with both the BACB Code and the wider ethics world.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Human service practitioners from varying fields make ethical decisions daily. At some point during their careers, many behavior analysts may face ethical decisions outside the range of their previous education, training, and professional experiences. To help practitioners make better decisions, researchers have published ethical decision-making models; however, it is unknown the extent to which published models recommend similar behaviors. Thus, we systematically reviewed and analyzed ethical decision-making models from published peer-reviewed articles in behavior analysis and related allied health professions. We identified 55 ethical decision-making models across 60 peer-reviewed articles, seven primary professions (e.g., medicine, psychology), and 22 subfields (e.g., dentistry, family medicine). Through consensus-based analysis, we identified nine behaviors commonly recommended across the set of reviewed ethical decision-making models with almost all (n = 52) models arranging the recommended behaviors sequentially and less than half (n = 23) including a problem-solving approach. All nine ethical decision-making steps clustered around the ethical decision-making steps in the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts published by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (2020) suggesting broad professional consensus for the behaviors likely involved in ethical decision making.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2023 · doi:10.1007/s40617-022-00753-1