Area 1: Ethical Considerations

Question 1

What are the 3 basic fundamental questions of ethics?

Answer 1

1) What is the RIGHT thing to do?
2) What is WORTH doing?
3) What does it mean to be a GOOD behavior analyst?

Question 2

What can practitioners do to counteract the possibility that personal history and background will not influence decision making over professional knowledge and experience? (4)

Answer 2

1) Seek help from supervisors or colleagues
2) Review research literature
3) Consult case studies
4) Excuse self from case

Question 3

What do questions of social validity ask? (3)

Answer 3

1) Are the GOALS acceptable?
2) Are the PROCEDURES acceptable and aligned with best treatment practices?
3) Do the RESULTS show meaningful, significant, sustainable change?

Question 4

What does the cost-benefit ratio ask?

Answer 4

Is it WORTH doing?…Does the potential benefit justify the short and looooong term cost for providing the service?

Question 5

What 3 tests must be met before informed consent can be considered?

Answer 5

1) The person must demonstrate the CAPACITY to DECIDE.
2) The person’s decisions must be VOLUNTARY
3) The person must have adequate KNOWLEDGE of all salient aspects of treatment.

Question 6

A good practitioner is…

Answer 6

…self regulating.

Question 7

Behavior analytic practitioners abide by ethical principles to…(3)

Answer 7

1) Produce “meaningful” behavior change of social significance
2) Reduce or eliminate harm
3) Conform to the ethical standards

Question 8

1-1: Solicit or otherwise influence clients only through the use of ___ and ___ representations of intervention efficacy and one’s _____ ____ in ABA.

Answer 8

…truthful and accurate…professional competence…

Question 9

1-2: Practice within one’s limits of professional competence in ABA and obtain c___, s____, t___, or m___ ____ as necessary.

Answer 9

consultation, supervision, training, or make referrals.

Question 10

1-3: Maintain competence by:

Answer 10

engaging in ongoing professional development activities.

Question 11

1-4: Obtain ___ ___ within applicable legal standards.

Answer 11

informed consent

Question 12

When is an intentional breach of confidentiality warranted?

Answer 12

When credible info becomes available that imminent harm or danger is possible (e.g., if a student told you that another student brought a gun on campus).

Question 13

An acceptable treatment environment is where:

1) ____ _____ is readily available
2) ____ skills are taught and maintained
3) ___ ___ are improved
4) The environment is the ___ ____ alternative
5) The environment is ___ and ___.
6) The client ____ to live there

Answer 13

1) Positive reinforcement
2) Functional
3) Behavior problems
4) Least restrictive
5) stable and safe
6) chooses

Question 14

To determine whether behavioral intervention is necessary and appropriate, the behavior analyst should seek to answer the following questions:

1) Has the problem behavior _____ _____?
2) Is the problem with the ____ or ____ _____?
3) Have other ____ been tried?
4) Does the problem actually ____?
5) Can the problem be solved ___ or ____?
6) Might the problem be better address by ____ ____?
7) Is the behavior problem considered to be an _____?

Answer 14

1) emerged suddenly?
2) client or someone else?
3) interventions
4) exist
5) simply or informally?
6) another discipline?
7) EMERGENCY!

Question 15

Questions to ask when considering whether the intervention is likely to be successful include the following:

1) Is the ____ willing to ____?
2) Are the ____ surrounding the client willing or able to participate?
3) Has the behavior been successfully treated in the ____ ____?
4) Is public ____ likely?
5) Does the behavior analyst have the appropriate ____ to deal with the problem?
6) Will those most likely to be involved in implementing the program have _____ _____ of the critical environmental contingencies?

Answer 15

1) client, participate?
2) caregivers
3) research literature
4) support
5) experience
6) adequate control

…if the answer to any of these questions is NO, the BA should seriously consider DECLINING to initiate treatment!

Question 16

What are the 2 PRIMARY sources in which BAs should base their practices on?

Answer 16

1) Scientific literature

2) Direct and frequent measurements of behavior

Question 17

The applied dimensions of ABA are: 
A\_\_\_:
B\_\_\_:
A\_\_\_:
T\_\_\_:
C\_\_\_S\_\_\_\_:
E\_\_\_:
G\_\_\_:

Answer 17

Applied: target behavior must be socially significant (e.g., self-help, language, social, etc.)
Behavioral: entails precise measurement of the actual behavior in need of improvement and documents that it was the subject’s behavior that changed…Alternatively, a behavior analyst worked with Benny on specific social skills. These included asking appropriate questions about a partner’s interest, making appropriate self-disclosing statements, making eye contact, and grooming and hygiene skills.
Analytic: must show reliable, experimental control and a functional relation.
Technological: techniques used must be completely identified and described (can it be replicated based on the description?)…The behavior analyst wrote a treatment plan for Benny that precisely spelled out the procedures used. The plan, which included instructions, modeling, behavioral rehearsal, feedback, homework assignments, prompting, and reinforcement, described each of these procedures.
Conceptual Systematic: use ABA terms (mand, tact, etc.) and interventions are derived from basic principles of behavior…Hyndi explains to Mr. Smith that this is an “escape-extinction” procedure, which is based on the principle of operant extinction of behavior maintained by negative reinforcement
Effective: how big is the behavior change? (e.g., going from a D to an A?). Change must be socially important…The behavior analyst collected and graphed data daily, and depending on the data, changed procedures to obtain faster and better results.
Generality: generalizes to other setting, peps, etc. and lasts over time

Question 18

Practicing BAs have responsibility to protect a client’s ___, ___, and ____.

Answer 18

dignity, health, and safety.

Question 19

1-12: Give preference to assessment and intervention methods that have been ____ ____ and use ____ methods to evaluate those that have not yet been scientifically validated.

Answer 19

…scientifically validated, scientific…

Question 20

1-8: Use the most effective assessment and behavior change procedures with applicable ethical standards taking into consideration the guideline of m____ i_____ of the procedure to the client.

Answer 20

minimal intrusiveness.

Question 21

All sources of _____ of ______ are to be AVOIDED.

Answer 21

conflicts of interests