Socioethical considerations in behavior therapy research and practice.

McNamara (1978) wrote a think-piece, not an experiment. He mapped places where behavior therapists can trip over patient rights. The paper lists checkpoints from first meeting to final follow-up.

It warns that courts, parents, and the public are watching. Therapists need paperwork and reasoning ready at every step.

The article finds gaps. Most behavior plans back then lacked clear consent, goal choice, and exit rules. Without these, therapists risk lawsuits and public backlash.

Regis offers a fix: build ethics reviews into each phase of work. Treat them like data sheets—standard, not optional.

Capuano et al. (2021) extend the 1978 idea to pseudoscience requests. They give a ready-made script when parents ask for fad treatments. The script follows the same checkpoints Regis wanted.

Quigley et al. (2025) turn the one-time checklist into a living venue. They propose a standing journal section where BCBAs keep talking about new ethical puzzles. It keeps the 1978 guardrails but makes them ongoing.

Anonymous (2020) shows the cost of skipping the checkpoints. The editors flag a 1974 study because it harmed a child and fueled conversion therapy. The move proves Regis was right: without early ethics reviews, the field pays later.

You can add Regis-style checkpoints to your workflow today. Write consent, assent, and exit criteria before you write the first behavioral objective. Keep the page in the client file. When a supervisor, parent, or auditor asks why you chose a procedure, you already have the ethical answer ready. It takes five extra minutes and can save your license later.