Association for Behavior Analysis International

Ethical Considerations

The Association for Behavior Analysis International expects its members to uphold the highest standards of personal and professional behavior in the conduct of their work and the advancement of behavior analysis. ABAI embraces the diversity of professions within its membership; thus, each ABAI member should adhere to the ethical standards that have been defined for their profession. ABAI's code of ethics statement (above) was accepted by the Full members of ABAI in 2007.

Ethics Codes

• Behavior Analyst Certification Board Ethics Code
• Qualified Applied Behavior Analysis Code of Ethics
• American Psychological Association Ethics Code
• National Association of School Psychologists Professional Standards
• National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics
• National Education Association Code of Ethics
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Code of Ethics
• International Society for Performance Improvement Code of Ethics
• Animal Behavior Society Code of Ethics
• International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants Professional Code of Ethics

Position Statements by ABAI Executive Council Related to Ethical Conduct and Human Rights

• Statement on Conversion Therapy and Practices, 2021
• Expression of Support for the Asian-American Pacific Islander Community, 2021
• Commitment of Equity, 2020
• Sexual Harassment, 2019
• Restraint and Seclusion, 2010
• Facilitated Communication, 1995
• Students' Rights to Effective Education, 1990
• Right to Effective Behavioral Treatment, 1989

ABAI Policies

• Policy on Sexual and Other Harassment of Members, 2022
• Communications Policy, 2021
• Diversity Policy, 2019

Client Rights

• Patient Bill of Rights

Other Position Statements and Resolutions

• Apology to people of color for APA’s role in promoting, perpetuating, and failing to challenge racism, racial discrimination, and human hierarchy in U.S.
• Role of psychology and APA in dismantling systemic racism in U.S.
• Advancing health equity in psychology (apa.org)
• Humanism and Its Aspirations: Humanist Manifesto III (note Skinner was a signatory to version II)

Foundational Readings

• Stolz, S. B. & Associates (1978). Ethical issues in behavior modification: Report of the American Psychological Association Commission. Jossey-Bass, Inc.
• Hawkins, R. P. (1974). Who decided that was the problem. Two stages of responsibility for applied behavior analysts. In W. S. Woods (Ed.) Issues in evaluating behavior modification: Proceedings of the first Drake conference on professional issues in behavior analysis (pp. 195-214). Research Press.
• Association for Advancement of Behavioral Therapy (1997). Ethical issues for human services. Reprinted in Martin, G. & Pear, J. (2019). Behavior modification: What it is and how to do it (11th Ed.). Routledge (p. 326)

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