Chapter 8 - Social Validity and Ethics

Abstract

Ethics is a critical component of any professional field. The presence or lack of ethical behavior within a profession can have considerable impact on the individuals receiving professional services. Ethical standards are derivations of the values within society and fluctuate with the knowledge base and conditions present in a society. Wolf, in conceptualizing social validity, simultaneously promoted the associated ethical considerations necessary in applied behavior analysis. Examination of the validity of goals, procedures, and effects of treatments incorporates the values present within a society upon which ethical standards are based. Basically, an examination of social validity has considerable overlap with an examination of ethical values. Obtaining social validity data from parents who frequently use physical punishment with a child may also be reflective of the ethical values of the parents, which could be based on limited information such as memories of the techniques that were used by their parents on them. Social validity data from consultants may be reflective of the ethical values within their training programs, professional organizations, employment, and the like. Social validity data obtained from larger segments of society may reveal ethical values that are dependent upon popularity of movements, the prevalence of rhetoric, economic conditions, and other factors. Increasing measurement of social validity and utilizing the information may be another method for incorporating ethical values into the practice of applied behavior analysis. Although more direct examinations of ethics are necessary, social validity does assist in incorporating the values of society and offers a method of checks and balances for behavior treatments.