The ethics of behavior modification.

Abstract

In 1971 Senator Ervin began an investigation into programs designed to change people's behavior, such as psychosurgery, including prefrontal lobotomy and electrical or chemical brain stimulation, as well as various forms of behavior therapy, including aversive conditioning by electric shock and drugs (such as scoline which can cause a breath-stopping, paralyzing, and generally terrifying experience, and apomorphine, which causes uncontrollable vomiting). Among the incidents investigated were some that occurred in prisons and other institutions, such as hospitals and psychiatric clinics. In some cases, the prisoners were given aversion therapy without their consent and staying in bed, talking, swearing, or lying. One inmate, for example, was selected for treatment because was observed in active fellatio attitude, another because he was uncooperative, disruptive in group. Pacing, negativistic, laughs and grins inappropriately. Muslim who stirs up race hatred (Erwin, p. 196). An American psychiatrist describes how he succeeded in getting his male Vietnamese patients to volunteer for work by subjecting them to electroconvulsive shock therapy, and how he starved his less pliable female patients for three days, after which they too volunteered (p. 187). Practices such as these are disturbing, and they raise difficult moral questions. What kinds of behavior or what physiological/psychological conditions underlying such behavior may or must be modified? Mental illnesses, if there are such, and their behavioral symptoms? Behavior disorders, such as overeating, asociality, bed-wetting? Deviant behavior, such as homosexuality or criminal conduct? By what methods may such behavior be modified? Any that are effective? What about castration? Any that are not too unpleasant? What about aversive conditioning or electroconvulsive shock therapy? Any that do not interfere too much with a person's nature? But what is too much? Prefrontal lobotomy? Brain stimulation? Aversive conditioning? Any form of operant conditioning? For what purpose may such modification be undertaken? Only to cure a patient? Or rid