Practice Ethics Final
ABA Exam Questions
and Complete Solutions
Graded A+
A behavior analyst who advocates for a person to acquire skills that will provide greater independence
has to recognize that this may potentially put the person in harm's way. This is an example of... -
Answer: Respecting autonomy
You have just been hired for your first job after acquiring BCBA certification. In conversations with a co-
worker, you express delight in the number of continuing education and professional development
opportunities the company provides and pays for. Your co-worker says, "Those are a waste of time. I've
been in this field a long time and here is a piece of advice-find a treatment that works and stick with it."
This is a violation of which core ethical principle? - Answer: The Pursuit of Excellence because there is a
failure to keep abreast of the latest research and treatment methods in the field.
One might then assume that the field's reliance on empirical (data gathered from direct observation or
experimentation) foundations would significantly reduce the likelihood of ethical dilemmas that might
be encountered. This assumption is likely incorrect. Which of the following statements regarding
characteristics of behavior-analytic services would NOT be viewed as making ethical dilemmas more
likely? - Answer: Treatment that is continually evaluated for effectiveness and individually tailored to the
function (causes) of behavior
You are a BCBA working with a child whose mother sought you out to help with 'persistent failure to
complete homework'. After a few sessions, you come up with a reward system that you think will
increase homework completion. You explain the plan to the mother and she agrees with it. Three days
after initial implementation of the plan, the mother calls you and says she is unhappy with the rate of
progress so she told her daughter they could take a trip to Disney World if she completed all homework
assignments for the month. The mother than says that she cannot afford the trip, but thinks it will
motivate her daughter. You thank the mother for telling you, hang up the phone, and tell her you will
call her next week. This situation is best described as... - Answer: A violation of Being Faithful/Being
Truthful
,You ask your study partner to summarize why the Sunland scandal was so bad and they say, "because
punishment and aversives were used and they don't work". In order to give a more complete, accurate
answer, you choose to say which of the following... - Answer: At Sunland they were abusive and did not
actually use punishment in the procedural sense to reduce a behavior. There is a big difference between
abuse/ trauma and punishment that is ethically needed to prevent harm to the individual or others.
They did it because they either did not have the skills for ethical behavior change, or they enjoyed using
aversive consequences without considering the clients' needs. Before using punishment we determine
the function of the behavior to reinforce an acceptable replacement response. Without a baseline the
reinforcer maintaining a challenging behavior could still pull through even after punishment is delivered,
making it ineffective.
What are the three primary considerations for evidenced-based practice and must be considered
simultaneously rather than separately? (make sure to select three responses) - Answer: -Best research
evidence.
-Patient values and preferences
-Your clinical expertise.
(T/F) The Sunland scandal resulted in disciplinary actions by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board
against the facilities as a result of violating its code of ethical guidelines (Hint: when was the BACB
founded?). - Answer: False
Select from the below (there are others but select 3 responses) the actions you can take to make sure
you are in the Pursuit of Excellence related to the field of behavior analysis. (Select three) - Answer: -
Attend behavioral conferences to get continuing education on a topic
-Read journal articles to stay up-to-date on new findings
-Offer presentations to inform the profession as well as the public as to who behavior analysts are and
what they do.
(T/F) A core ethical principle cannot be violated if done so unintentionally by the actions of the behavior
analyst. - Answer: False
The group/organization that is credited with starting the movement to reform treatment involving
behavior modification to prevent future abuse in the state of Florida as a result of the Sunland scandal
was? - Answer: The Blue Ribbon Committee
, (T/F) The behavior analyst is required to evaluate the potential effectiveness of any treatment, including
no treatment, proposed by the treatment team. - Answer: True
What do practicing behavior analysts report as the most frequent ethical concern they face? Remember
the McNamara (2008) article was discussing school psychology, and Bailey and Burch discuss behavior
analysis. - Answer: Right to effective treatment.
If a situation arises in the delivery of professional services for which you have to make a decision as to a
course of action, which takes precedence in your decision making, the law or the field's ethical code.
Precedence does not mean that you do ignore the other in the decision-making process, merely which
must be evaluated first. Select either law or ethical code below for your answer - Answer: Law
The first step of the Bailey and Burch seven step model for analyzing complex ethical cases is....? -
Answer: Determine if the incident is covered by the Ethics Code
The second step of McNamara's ethical decision-making model is? - Answer: Identify the basis of conflict
What are the most common "alleged" ethical violation (2016-2017) received by the Behavioral Analysis
Certification Board (BACB)? - Answer: Improper or inadequate supervision or delegation
Failure to response to the BACB as required
Professionalism and Integrity
All the above
Correct Answer: ALL OF THE ABOVE
In terms of ethical decision-making in behavior analysis, at what point do Bailey & Burch say you first
need to adhere to professional ethics over personal ethics when faced with a conflict? - Answer: As a
graduate student in a behavior analysis program
Which of the following examples would not be considered a dual relationship on the part of a therapist
who is working with a client? - Answer: The therapist begins dating the client
The therapist enters into a business partnership with the client
The therapist enters into a friendship with the client
ABA Exam Questions
and Complete Solutions
Graded A+
A behavior analyst who advocates for a person to acquire skills that will provide greater independence
has to recognize that this may potentially put the person in harm's way. This is an example of... -
Answer: Respecting autonomy
You have just been hired for your first job after acquiring BCBA certification. In conversations with a co-
worker, you express delight in the number of continuing education and professional development
opportunities the company provides and pays for. Your co-worker says, "Those are a waste of time. I've
been in this field a long time and here is a piece of advice-find a treatment that works and stick with it."
This is a violation of which core ethical principle? - Answer: The Pursuit of Excellence because there is a
failure to keep abreast of the latest research and treatment methods in the field.
One might then assume that the field's reliance on empirical (data gathered from direct observation or
experimentation) foundations would significantly reduce the likelihood of ethical dilemmas that might
be encountered. This assumption is likely incorrect. Which of the following statements regarding
characteristics of behavior-analytic services would NOT be viewed as making ethical dilemmas more
likely? - Answer: Treatment that is continually evaluated for effectiveness and individually tailored to the
function (causes) of behavior
You are a BCBA working with a child whose mother sought you out to help with 'persistent failure to
complete homework'. After a few sessions, you come up with a reward system that you think will
increase homework completion. You explain the plan to the mother and she agrees with it. Three days
after initial implementation of the plan, the mother calls you and says she is unhappy with the rate of
progress so she told her daughter they could take a trip to Disney World if she completed all homework
assignments for the month. The mother than says that she cannot afford the trip, but thinks it will
motivate her daughter. You thank the mother for telling you, hang up the phone, and tell her you will
call her next week. This situation is best described as... - Answer: A violation of Being Faithful/Being
Truthful
,You ask your study partner to summarize why the Sunland scandal was so bad and they say, "because
punishment and aversives were used and they don't work". In order to give a more complete, accurate
answer, you choose to say which of the following... - Answer: At Sunland they were abusive and did not
actually use punishment in the procedural sense to reduce a behavior. There is a big difference between
abuse/ trauma and punishment that is ethically needed to prevent harm to the individual or others.
They did it because they either did not have the skills for ethical behavior change, or they enjoyed using
aversive consequences without considering the clients' needs. Before using punishment we determine
the function of the behavior to reinforce an acceptable replacement response. Without a baseline the
reinforcer maintaining a challenging behavior could still pull through even after punishment is delivered,
making it ineffective.
What are the three primary considerations for evidenced-based practice and must be considered
simultaneously rather than separately? (make sure to select three responses) - Answer: -Best research
evidence.
-Patient values and preferences
-Your clinical expertise.
(T/F) The Sunland scandal resulted in disciplinary actions by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board
against the facilities as a result of violating its code of ethical guidelines (Hint: when was the BACB
founded?). - Answer: False
Select from the below (there are others but select 3 responses) the actions you can take to make sure
you are in the Pursuit of Excellence related to the field of behavior analysis. (Select three) - Answer: -
Attend behavioral conferences to get continuing education on a topic
-Read journal articles to stay up-to-date on new findings
-Offer presentations to inform the profession as well as the public as to who behavior analysts are and
what they do.
(T/F) A core ethical principle cannot be violated if done so unintentionally by the actions of the behavior
analyst. - Answer: False
The group/organization that is credited with starting the movement to reform treatment involving
behavior modification to prevent future abuse in the state of Florida as a result of the Sunland scandal
was? - Answer: The Blue Ribbon Committee
, (T/F) The behavior analyst is required to evaluate the potential effectiveness of any treatment, including
no treatment, proposed by the treatment team. - Answer: True
What do practicing behavior analysts report as the most frequent ethical concern they face? Remember
the McNamara (2008) article was discussing school psychology, and Bailey and Burch discuss behavior
analysis. - Answer: Right to effective treatment.
If a situation arises in the delivery of professional services for which you have to make a decision as to a
course of action, which takes precedence in your decision making, the law or the field's ethical code.
Precedence does not mean that you do ignore the other in the decision-making process, merely which
must be evaluated first. Select either law or ethical code below for your answer - Answer: Law
The first step of the Bailey and Burch seven step model for analyzing complex ethical cases is....? -
Answer: Determine if the incident is covered by the Ethics Code
The second step of McNamara's ethical decision-making model is? - Answer: Identify the basis of conflict
What are the most common "alleged" ethical violation (2016-2017) received by the Behavioral Analysis
Certification Board (BACB)? - Answer: Improper or inadequate supervision or delegation
Failure to response to the BACB as required
Professionalism and Integrity
All the above
Correct Answer: ALL OF THE ABOVE
In terms of ethical decision-making in behavior analysis, at what point do Bailey & Burch say you first
need to adhere to professional ethics over personal ethics when faced with a conflict? - Answer: As a
graduate student in a behavior analysis program
Which of the following examples would not be considered a dual relationship on the part of a therapist
who is working with a client? - Answer: The therapist begins dating the client
The therapist enters into a business partnership with the client
The therapist enters into a friendship with the client
