Abstract
The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) released the third iteration of ethical practice guidelines for certificants, which went into effect on January 1, 2022. This Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (hereafter Ethics Code) is streamlined and more enforceable than its predecessors, with the continued overarching directive to improve consumer protection. In the decades after the BACB was founded, the internet and social media have become ubiquitous in daily life, including within applied behavior analysis (ABA). Social media can benefit ABA stakeholders by providing access to enhanced professional networks, practitioner resources, and study guides or social support for behavior analysis students. However, the use of social media leads to a potentially increased risk of ethical concerns. Therefore, the authors of this article sought to explore how behavioral products in ABA social media forums on Reddit align with the Ethics Code. Findings suggest that most user engagement in ABA subreddit is ethical, but users also engage in ways that potentially misalign with the Ethics Code. Finally, the authors describe implications for future research and practice to promote ethical user engagement online by ABA practitioners.
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The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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All authors are board certified behavior analysts who stand to gain from favorable public perception of ABA and have previously received payment working in schools, homes, and clinics using behavior analysis. The authors certify that they have no current affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this article.
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• Most observed user engagement on Reddit was considered in alignment with the Ethics Code.
• Majority of online posts requested resources or career advice.
• Users’ posts never redirected others who posted content that was out of alignment with the Ethics Code.
• Most frequent posts referring to off-line ethical challenges were about poor working environments in ABA clinics.
• Posts that were out of alignment with the Ethics Code included revealing private client information and recommending treatments without proper assessment or contextual information.
• Organizations are recommended to proactively educate employees and those supporting clients on appropriate social media usage.
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Price, R.A., Martin Loya, M.R., Folkerts, R. et al. The Ethical Landscape of Behavior Analysis Forums on Reddit. Behav Analysis Practice (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-024-00921-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-024-00921-5