9.0 The Behavior Analyst’s

Ethical Responsibility to Society

The behavior analyst promotes the general welfare of society through the application of behavior. 

9.01 Promotion in Society 

The behavior analyst should promote the application of behavior principles in society by presenting a behavioral alternative to other procedures or methods

9.02 Scientific Inquiry

The behavior analyst should promote the analysis of behavior as a legitimate field of scientific inquiry

9.03 Public Statements: A

A) Behavior analysts comply with these Guidelines in public statements relating to their professional services, products or publications or to the field of behavior analysis.

9.03 Public Statements: B

B) Public statements include but are not limited to paid or unpaid advertising, brochures, printed matter, directory listings, personal resumes or curriculum vitae, interviews or comments for use in media, statements in legal proceedings, lectures and public oral presentations, and published materials

9.04 Statements by Others: A&B

A) Behavior analysts who engage others to create or place public statements that promote their professional practice, products, or activities retain professional responsibility for such statements.

 B) Behavior analysts make reasonable efforts to prevent others whom they do not control (such as employers, publishers, sponsors, organizational clients and representatives of the print of broadcast media) from making deceptive statements concerning behavior analysts’ practices or professional or scientific activities 

9.04 Statement by Others: C&D

C) If behavior analysts learn of deceptive statements about their work made by others, behavior analysts make reasonable efforts to correct such statements

 D) A paid advertisement relating to the behavior analysts’ activities must be identified as such, unless it is already apparent from the context.

9.05 Avoiding False or Deceptive Statements 

Behavior analysts do not make public statements that are false, deceptive, misleading or fraudulent, either because of what they state, convey, or suggest or because of what they omit, concerning their research, practice or other work activities or those of persons or organizations with which they are affiliated. Behavior analysts claim as credentials for their behavioral work, only degrees that were primarily or exclusively behavior analytic in content. 

9.06 Media Presentations and Emerging Media-Based Services: A

A) When behavior analysts provide advice or comment by means of public lectures, demonstrations, radio or television programs, prerecorded tapes, printed articles, mailed material, or other media, they take reasonable precautions to ensure that (1) the statements are based on appropriate behavior analytic literature and practice, (2) the statements are otherwise consistent with these Guidelines, and (3) the recipients of the information are not encouraged to infer that a relationship has been established with them personally.

9.06 Media Presentations and Emerging Media-Based Services: B

B) When behavior analysts deliver services, teach or conduct research using existing or emerging media (e.g. Internet, e-learning, interactive multi-media), they consider any ethical challenges presented by media-based delivery (e.g. privacy, confidentiality, evidence-based interventions, ongoing data collection and program modifications) and make every effort possible to adhere to the ethical standards described herein.

9.07 Testimonials

Behavior analysts do not solicit testimonials from current clients or patients or other persons who because of their particular circumstances are vulnerable to undue influence.

9.08 In-Person Solicitation.

Behavior analysts do not engage, directly or through agents, in uninvited in-person solicitation of business from actual or potential users of services who, because of their particular circumstances, are vulnerable to undue influence, except that organizational behavior management or performance management services may be marketed to corporate entities regardless of their projected financial position.

A behavior is followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus that decreases the future frequency of a behavior

(D-16: Use positive and negative punishment)

A response behavior is followed immediately by the removal of a stimulus (or a decrease in the intensity of a stimulus), that decreases the future frequency of similar responses under similar conditions.

(D-16: Use Positive and Negative Punishment)

Continuous schedule of punishment

Produces more suppression than intermittent for as long as the punishment contingency is maintained. Allows more rapid recovery of the responses.

(D-17: use appropriate parameters and schedules of punishment)

Intermittent schedule of punishment

In some instances, intermittent can be effective. A gradual timing of the punishment schedule might maintain the suppressive effects of punishment that was initially delivered on a continuous schedule.

(D-17: Use appropriate parameters and schedules of punishment)

he discontinuing of a reinforcement of a previously reinforced behavior; the primary effect is a decrease in the frequency of the behavior until it reaches a prereinforced level or ultimately ceases to occur.

(D-18: Use extinction)

“When a previously reinforced behavior is emitted but is not followed by the usual reinforcing consequences, the occurrence of that behavior should either gradually decrease to its prereinforcement level or stop entirely (Cooper, Heron & Heward, pg. 461).”

(D-18: Use extinction) 

Occurs when a stimulus change immediately follows a response and increases the future frequency of that type of behavior in similar conditions 

Combining extinction with reinforcement

Effectiveness of extinction may increase when it is combined with other procedures, especially positive reinforcement. Differential reinforcement and antecedent procedures hold promise for reducing extinction effects such as bursting and aggression (Cooper, Heron & Heward, pg. 465).”

(D-19: Use combinations of reinforcement with punishment and extinction)