Ethics training in behavior analysis has traditionally focused on identifying the correct response to a presented dilemma — learning which Ethics Code section applies, what the code requires, and how to document the decision. This approach produces practitioners who can perform well on ethics knowledge assessments but who are often unprepared for the feature of real-world ethical practice that no knowledge assessment captures: many ethical dilemmas in ABA do not have a clearly correct solution, and the options available often involve accepting some degree of compromise, uncertainty, or suboptimal outcome.
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Join Free →The BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (ECBA, 2020) offers clear guidelines for professional conduct, yet practitioners often encounter challenges in applying it effectively. Recent studies have explored nuances in interpreting the code (Rosenberg & Schwartz, 2019; Sellers et al., 2020; and others), highlighting the complexity of ethical decision-making in practice. This presentation argues that even if analysts receive training in problem-solving strategies, an overemphasis on ideal outcomes may leave them unprepared for the real-world dilemmas that frequently involve factors beyond their control. Consequently, practitioners may lean towards either rigid adherence to rules or rationalization of behaviors that deviate from ethical principles. To address this, the first step is that currently practicing behavior analysts must recognize that there are often acceptable, albeit not perfect, solutions to complex ethical challenges. In turn, it is suggested that supervisors then enhance training on ethical problem-solving by incorporating opportunities for modeling nuanced decision-making. This would involve exploring ethically acceptable solutions to complex situations, even when they are not ideal.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | Supervision |
| COA | 1 | — |
Dr. Barbara Kaminski earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from the Behavior Analysis Training Program at West Virginia University. During postdoctoral training and a subsequent faculty position at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, she was involved in grant-funded research in behavioral pharmacology. In 2013, she pivoted to clinical applications and is currently Clinical Director of an agency providing ABA therapy services and teaches graduate level courses in ABA for George Mason University and The Chicago School-DC Campus. She was a co-founder of UncomfortableX, which from 2017 - 2022 created space for confronting uncomfortable professional situations and topics. She is passionate about professional development for young and in-training clinicians, is actively involved in development of problem-solving strategies for values-informed ethical decision-making, and is dedicated to contextually-based application of behavioral principles to address real-world problems, both large and small.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
252 research articles with practitioner takeaways
233 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.