AB565 Professional Ethics

Unit 3: Study Guide

Answer each of the following questions. Your answers must:
1. Be a minimum of five sentences.
2. Directly answer the question. For example, if the question asks, “What would be the
ethical violation in the above scenario?” and you do not mention any violation, you will
not receive the point.

Study Guide Questions

1. Comment on Leaf et al.’s (2021) critique of the RBT® certification. To what extent

do you agree with their critiques? You need not agree or disagree with all of their

critiques; you may select one or two and comment on those specific critiques.

Leaf et al. (2021) explains their concern on the issue of assistant assessors and

assistant trainers. According to Leaf et al, they are faced with the question of the role the

assistant assessor who has been tasked with the responsibility of the assistant trainer as

well as the lack of certification by the BACB but they are accountable both ethically and

professionally on the activities of the assistant trainer. In this case, the form in which the

assistant assessor and trainer are labelled. In addition, based on the RBT® task list, it is

evident that some of the skills are missing. One of the vital skills that were eliminated

was stimulus fading. The concerns arising from the elimination of such skills is that they

have been proven to be effective and useful in the instances that RBTs® are working.

Further, from research, it is not like the learning of stimulus fading skills are complex

compared to other procedures.

2. How would implementing Leaf et al.’s solutions resolve the issues they addressed? If

you work in an RBT role, do you think implementing their solutions would resolve

any issues in your own organization?

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There are various solutions that have been suggested by Leaf et al. (2021). The

first solution is conducting research to check the total number of hours required for

providing training to new technicians. Another solution that is suggested is that the

BACB® should justify why supervision can now be offered by BCaBAs®. In addition, to

help in dealing with the issue of elimination of various skills in the task lists, Leaf et al

suggested on the need determine the relevant skills that re to be incorporated in the task

list and ensure that they update them as per the objectives. By implementing these

solutions, it will help in understanding the exact hours needed for training thus increasing

effectiveness and also, it will help in giving well-defined job responsibilities. Working in

an RBT role, the above solutions will help in resolving the issue of lack of specific job

responsibilities and also, it will help in improving efficiency of the workers.

3. Pick one of the three primary approaches to ethics about which you have learned

thus far: virtue ethics, deontology, consequentialism. Using Rosenberg and

Schwartz (2019) as a guide, make a case for why behavior analysts’ professional

ethics should be based on that approach. What is an issue with this approach?

The behavior analysts’ professional ethics should be based on deontology.

Deontology refers to certain set of rules that help in differentiating right from wrong. In

general, deontology is concerned making a choice based on a moral behavior. For

instance, in code.105 (d), the behavior analysts are not supposed to get involve in any

form of discrimination against group or people in regard to their socioeconomic status. In

this case, when a behavior analyst discriminates a person due to their socioeconomic

status, he or she will be considered to be ethically wrong. Therefore, behavior analysts’

professional ethics should be based on deontological approach because it gives the

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analyst a chance to carry duties that are praiseworthy morally than what the morality

demands.

Based on code 1.05 (d), it is evident that deontological morality generally avoids

the too demanding and isolating parts of consequentialism and instead aligns itself more

closely with common views of our moral responsibilities. In addition, when the behavior

analysts’ professional ethics are based on deontology, it ensures fairness in treatment of

individuals because they are valuable intrinsically and also, it helps in weighing the cost

of discriminating others and the benefits that it will have in that person or the situation.

However, one of the main negative impacts of deontological approach is that it is not

flexible in that the behavior analyst has no opportunity to put into consideration the

circumstances of a certain action.

4. Compare Rosenberg and Schwartz’s (2019) ethical decision-making model to that

proposed by Brodhead, Cox, and Quigley (2018). As an aid, pick an ethical scenario

you have discussed so far in class. If you apply both models to this scenario, how do

they differ and how are they similar? Do they suggest different courses of action?

The Rosebenberg and Schwartz model is primarily based on the need to develop a

decision making process for evaluating behavioral ethicality in different scenarios. This

ethical decision-making model states that some ethical dilemmas are not addressable in a

dichotomous manner but rather requires a comprehensive consideration of related cultural

and contextual variables (Sellers, et al., 2020). On the other hand, Cox, Brodhead and

Quigley went further to expand the idea of ethics by exploring the grey areas and any

other contradictions. The latter results into a thought provoking, informative and

enjoyable application of the decision making model in a wide audience. In a case,

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scenario, perhaps one works at an IT firm and realizes that they use a pirated software,

the above models of ethical decision making present different ways in which the issue

can be addressed. According to the Rosenberg and Shwartz model, I may choose to be

silent and ignore it if the IT manager seems unbothered. On the other hand, the Cox,

Brodhead and Quigley model states that it is important to involve the IT manager in an

engaging conversation to probe on why they choose to use pirated software yet it is

unethical. This works best as it might enlighten the manager and inform them on the

dangers of the same.

5. Describe one dual relationship you have had. Did this relationship pose an ethical

dilemma? Was it unavoidable? How did you navigate this relationship? Apply

Brodhead et al.’s (2018) decision-making model to your situation. Looking back on

it, should you have handled it differently?

Working as a mental health professional, there was a time that I experienced a

dual relationship in that, there was a time that my client, who was experiencing mental

health issues was my good friend. However, through the counselling session, there was

an ethical dilemma that we experienced in that, we had the issue of confidentiality since

the client was afraid of sharing the details. However, after explaining the importance of

confidentiality in the therapeutic process, the client was able to trust her information with

me thus, we were able to avoid the dilemma.

During the counselling process, I various interventions to help my client handle

the issue he was facing. According to the decision-making model by Brodhead et al.,

(2018), when dealing with people with autism, it is essential to use interventions since
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they help in improving the ability of a child to communicate. In general, reflecting back

in my situation. I would have handled it differently by maybe referring my client to

another therapist to increase the client’s trust ad confidentiality.