Deck 30: Ethical Issues

Question 1

State two propositions on which behavior modification is based.

Answer 1

(a)Behavior can be controlled; and (b)it is desirable to do so in order to achieve certain objectives.

Question 2

From your knowledge of history or current events, give an example of what often happens when the reinforcements occurring to one group in a society fall below a certain critical level relative to the reinforcements occurring to another group in that society.

Answer 2

Any appropriate example in which a group with fewer reinforcers revolted against a group controlling more reinforcers, or undertook other action to bring about a more equal distribution of the reinforcers.Examples might include national revolutions, the labor movement, strikes, black power, red power, Chicano power, women's liberation, gay liberation, and the French separatist movement in Canada.

Question 3

Describe how ethics has evolved as a part of our culture.

Answer 3

Within a culture, certain ways of behaving evolved that were accepted and reinforced, whereas other ways of behaving evolved that were not accepted and/or were punished.For example, many cultures evolved that reinforced non-stealing behavior and punished stealing.Presumably, cultures in which honest behavior toward material possessions was not reinforced and stealing not punished tended not to survive.This may have been for many reasons.Whatever the reasons, many cultures consider non-stealing to be ethical or right, and stealing unethical or wrong.Other behavioral practices (ethics)presumably evolved similarly.

Question 4

Discuss the relative merits of planning versus not planning for behavior change.

Question 5

What was a primary conclusion of the comprehensive report by Stolz qnd Associates on the ethical issues involved in behavior modification?

Question 6

State two countercontrol measures regarding the definition of problems and selection of goals.

Question 7

What steps can be taken to help ensure that an applied behavior analyst or behavior therapist is appropriately qualified?

Question 8

In a sentence explain when, from a behavioral point of view, ethical guidelines represent an important source of behavioral control.

Question 9

Why and how do people who would control our behavior disguise their aims? Give an example of this that is not in the text.

Question 10

Explain why we tend to react negatively to all overt attempts to control our behavior.

Question 11

Describe a mechanism to facilitate informed consent.

Question 12

Discuss countercontrol. Why is it important?

Question 13

Discuss three possible meanings of intrusive and restrictive interventions.

Question 14

Using an example, explain how ethical guidelines involve rule-governed control over behavior.

Question 15

In a sentence, what should be the characteristics of the intervention methods used by behavior modifiers?

Question 16

Why is extreme wariness a healthy reaction to any new development in science or technology? Discuss an example of this.

Question 17

Describe in behavioral terms how the history of civilization is a story of the continuous abuse of power. From your knowledge of history or current events, give an example of this abuse.

Question 18

From a behavioral point of view, what does the term ethics mean?

Question 19

Explain why all helping professions are involved in the control of behavior whether or not their practitioners realize it. Give an example.

Question 20

From a behavioral point of view, how might we account for constitutions, bills of rights, and related political documents of modern states?

Question 21

Briefly explain why it should be difficult to use behavior modification to the detriment of any group whose members are well versed in the principles and tactics of behavior modification.

Question 22

Discuss Prilleltensky's approach for how psychologists can best help their clients.

Question 23

Discuss Skinner's view that we must go "beyond freedom and dignity" if civilization is to solve some of its most difficult problems.

Question 24

Give an example illustrating how governments use positive reinforcement to control behavior without citizens feeling that they are being controlled.

Question 25

What constitutes the cornerstone for ensuring ethical and effective treatment programs by behavior modifers?