Research is fundamental to applied behavior analysis. It provides a foundation for the processes involved and evidence for applying specific interventions and treatments to a particular behavior. The ethical considerations when conducting research are as critical as they are in the day-to-day activities of professional behavior analysts. Even if you don’t decide on a career in applied behavior analysis research, you still may be involved in research at some level. Ethical codes from the BACB® and other professional behavior analyst organizations include guidelines for conducting research.
In this Discussion, you will examine ethics in research. You will consider a research question involving a technique to improve behavior in children with autism, and you will discuss the best practices to make certain that each step in the study is done ethically.
To Prepare
- Review the required readings and media in this week’s Learning Resources to gain an understanding of ethics in research. Note: It will be critical for you to review all the media for this week to complete this Discussion.
- Consider the following problem and research question:
- Problem: You have noticed a technique, Technique A, not commonly used but that appears to increase the frequency of social interaction behavior.
- Research Question: Does Technique A increase the frequency of social interaction behavior in children with autism?
- Next, consider the following:
- How would you go about evaluating this in a more systematic manner?
- What steps would you follow in the process? Your goal is to eventually publish your results. Focus on the process and not any specific research technique. (Note: You will need to include ethical considerations for research, i.e., Institutional Review Board protection of participants and informed consent.)
Resources
- Bailey, J. S., & Burch, M. R. (2022). Ethics for behavior analysts (4th ed.). Routledge.
- Chapter 11, “Section 6: Responsibility in Research” (pp. 379–392)
- Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied behavior analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson.
- Chapter 10, “Planning and Evaluating Applied Behavior Analysis Research” (pp. 216–250)