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Reflection on the Ethical Decision Making Process

Making an ethical decision is often complicated. One has to ensure that they put different
factors into consideration. In my experience, I found it refreshing to look at the various model of
ethical decision-making and their application in the process of making ethical and moral
decisions. As a behavior analyst, one is bound to face various ethical dilemmas that need to be
resolved through making ethical decisions. One thus needs an ethical framework that they can
rely on while making ethical decisions. Working on the scenarios as a group made me realize
that there are many frameworks that can be used in making ethical decisions. Different group
members had different ideas about ethical decision-making. Interacting with the group members
made me realize that there are different ways through which one can arrive at an ethical decision.
Every group member was committed to the discussions, and this enhanced the quality of our
discussions. Group members also did a lot of research, and this results in every group member
learning from the rest of the group.
In the group discussions, I realized that two or more ethical guidelines could conflict. In
deontological ethics, moral rules may conflict. An example is upholding the values of honesty
and kindness. The BACB Code of ethics may also have rules that conflict, and this makes it
difficult for a behavior analyst to abide by all rules. The discussions helped illuminate how to
handle this ethical dilemma. In making an ethical decision, a behavior analyst must put into
consideration factors such as the safety of the client, client outcomes, family preferences, and
client dignity (Rosenberg & Schwartz, 2019). The implication is that even though there may be
multiple solutions to an ethical dilemma, the solutions need to be evaluated against the goal of
ensuring the wellbeing of the client (Matsuda et al., 2020). Professional practice is founded on

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the tenets of helping clients overcome various problems. All behavior analysts must therefore
strive to make decisions that positively impact the lives of the clients.
The group discussion made me learn lessons that I will apply in my professional practice.
One of the main lessons that I learned revolves around bias. All human beings have a personal
bias. Every person has a subjective view towards various issues. The views are influenced by
beliefs and experiences. Biases are also shaped by one’s experiences. However, it is critical for
everyone to be aware of their biases. Being aware of one’s bias is a key ingredient to
professional and personal growth (Olteanu et al., 2019). The ethical decision-making process
may be affected by bias as well as cognitive errors. Bias can affect the successful resolution of an
ethical dilemma. I learned that it is important to acknowledge biases that one may hold before
making an ethical decision. One can only resolve the bias by acknowledging the bias that one
may hold. I am prepared to always acknowledge any bias that I might hold in order to resolve the
bias effectively. I aim to educate myself on different cultures as a way of ensuring that my
experiences do not create an impediment towards resolving ethical dilemmas.
A behavioral analyst is a human being who is bound to be unintentionally biased.
Managing the bias may be complicated owing to various blindspots. An example of a bias that is
common is confirmation bias, where one seeks information that validates their existing
knowledge (Olteanu et al., 2019). However, one can work towards defeating bias, especially in
the treatment process. One of the ways to ensure that one avoids bias in the treatment process is
active vigilance. One also needs to be committed to making a difference. Vigilance requires
personal awareness. One needs to look at their beliefs and experiences and analyze how they can
affect their perception of things. I aim to ensure that I analyze my beliefs and become personally
aware of the beliefs and values that could create unconscious bias. An analysis of the beliefs will

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help me come up with self-regulatory behaviors that will mitigate the influence of bias in the
treatment process. Through attaining personal awareness, one can learn acceptable and
unacceptable behavior.
Overall, making ethical decisions and resolving ethical dilemmas can be a complicated
process. However, one can ensure that the process is eased through the application of a
systematic process to resolve the dilemma. There are ethical guidelines that are provided by
BACB. In addition to the ethical guidelines, one needs to ensure that they put into consideration
other factors such as the safety of the client as well as the dignity of the client. In addition, one
needs to recognize biases that they may hold. Every human being has biases that are mainly
influenced by beliefs, experiences, and values. The process of resolving the biases must begin by
acknowledging the problem.

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References

Matsuda, K., Garcia, Y., Catagnus, R., & Brandt, J. A. (2020). Can behavior analysis help us
understand and reduce racism? A review of the current literature. Behavior Analysis in
Practice, 13(2), 336-347.
Olteanu, A., Castillo, C., Diaz, F., & Kıcıman, E. (2019). Social data: Biases, methodological
pitfalls, and ethical boundaries. Frontiers in Big Data, 2, 13.
Rosenberg, N. E., & Schwartz, I. S. (2019). Guidance or compliance: What makes an ethical
behavior analyst?. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 12(2), 473-482.