how ethical philosophies drive our decision making

How Ethical Philosophies

Drive Our Decision Making

Amy Alford, M.Ed., BCBA

Senior Clinical Consultant

ODP/BSASP

February 27, 2020

Disclaimers: Please Read

• Most examples, scenarios, and stories used in today’s

presentation are fictional or pulled from websites, articles, or

books (where cited).

• Some are adapted from real-life but all precautions have been

taken to remove any identifying information (and permission

was granted in order to share).

• Any other correlation to real-life (personal or professional)

situations are merely coincidental.

• This training does not exempt anyone from adhering to

regulations, professional codes of ethics, employer

expectations, or the law.

• This training is not intended to change your values or beliefs.

• Rather, the goal is to challenge your thinking.

A Group Effort

The Trolley Problem

jstor.org/stable/796133?seq=1

What would you do?

• Option 1: Throw the switch and move to the new

track to maximize well-being (saving 5 people at the

expense of 1)


track because saving 5 lives is more charitable and

compassionate than just 1 life.

• Option 3: Don’t throw the switch. Stay on the track.

Strike and definitely kill the 5 workers

Boone, 2017

The Moral Machine Test

moralmachine.mit.edu

Everyday Ethics

Embrace the Grey

The Human Experience

Affect

Behavior Cognition

https://opentextbc.ca/socialpsychology/chapter/affect-behavior-and-cognition/

Is Honesty the Best Policy?

https://www.latimes.com/science/la-sci-people-are-honest-lost-wallets-experiment-20190620-story.html

The Wallet Experiment

Why act ethically?

• It’s a requirement for life

• It’s a requirement for society

• For religious purposes

• For self-interest

• Because humans are good

Boone, 2017

Why do we do what we do?

Ethical Philosophies

Virtue

Consequentialism

Deontology

Virtue Ethics

• Happiness, Truthfulness, Honesty

• Individual Character is more important than

consequences

• Virtue: a highly regarded personality trait or aspect

of character; learned behaviors (Boone, 2017)

• May appear self-centered

• Not rule based

Can you pass these tests?

• Mirror Test

– Imagine making the decision and then look at yourself in

the mirror. How do you feel? What do you see in your

eyes? Does it trigger alarm bells, violate your principles, or

summon a guilty conscience?

• Front Page Test

– Imagine reading about the decision in the headlines, with

your name and photo prominently displayed. How would

you look and feel and what effect would it have on your

reputation, relationships, and business prospects?

http://triplecrownleadership.com/ethical-decision-making-simple-tests/

Consequentialism

• The end justifies the means

– What is the result of your action? What produces the most

good?

• Consequences are the ultimate judgement

• 51% or higher rule

• Different kinds of Consequentialism

– Utilitarianism- maximizing the most please, minimizing

the most pain

– Rule Consequentialism- laws and ethical codes as a

backbone that “has been accepted as a moral truth

because it provides the best possible outcome” (pg 57-58)

– Ethical Altruism- leads to the most happiness for others,

but not the self

Boone, 2017

The Injured Puppy

Consequences Test

The consequences of unethical decisions can

be severe, so it is wise to consider them in

advance. Think not only of the potential

monetary costs associated with certain causes

of action but also the reputational costs (brand

equity), relationship costs, and psychological

costs (the burden of regret)

http://triplecrownleadership.com/ethical-decision-making-simple-tests


Deontology

• Rightness vs wrongness of actions,

not the consequences

• Duty or obligation

• Puts the responsibility on the universe

• “It’s about the moral nature of the overriding rules

and principles that guide the act. Acting under a

morally correct rule system guarantees that doing

the right thing is the right thing, regardless of the

outcome or consequences” (pg 90)

Universality Test- The Loaf of Bread

• Imagine if your course of action were to become

standard practice for all people in all times (a

universal maxim). Would that be a good and just

outcome?


Boone, 2017

Don’t get stuck in the philosophy vortex!

Ethical Decision Making

Election Time!

• It is time to elect the world leader, and yours is the

deciding vote. Here are the facts about the three

leading candidates:

– Candidate A: He associates with crooked politicians, and

consults with astrologers. He's had two mistresses. He

also chain smokes and drinks up to ten Martinis a day.

– Candidate B: He was ejected from office twice, sleeps

until noon, used opium in college and drinks a large

amounts of whisky every evening.

– Candidate C: He is a decorated war hero. He's a

vegetarian, doesn't smoke, drinks an occasional beer and

hasn't had any extra-marital affairs.

Which of these candidates would be your choice?

Answers

• Candidate A is Franklin D Roosevelt,

• Candidate B is Winston Churchill, and

• Candidate C is Adolph Hitler

Moral of the Story- Never judge a book by it’s cover.

Ensure information is reliable and giving you the full

picture

General Steps of Ethical Decision Making

• Define the Problem

• Seek Input/Assess

• Identify/Evaluate Options

• Determine Consequences

• Implement/Action

• Monitor/Evaluate

General Suggestions for Good Ethical Practice

and Decision Making

Know Thy Code

• The Law

• The Regulations

• The Responsibility Code of Conduct (across

professions)

• The Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for

Behavior Analysts (BACB, 2016)

• The CASSP Principles

• The Hippocratic Oath

• The Fine Print

• The Hard Line

There’s Data and then there’s Data

• How good is data if it isn’t reliable and valid?

• A degree or certification from Data University does

not mean anything if not comprehensive or

accurate.

• There may be more to the story…

Buddy Check

• We work on teams and we need to embrace our

teams

• You are not on an island- Ask Questions, build your

tribe

• Supervision, Training, Mentoring are key

• Consider your organization and the values they

embrace to encourage best practices from an

ethical perspective (Broadhead and Higbee)

Think Critically

• Ask basic questions

• Question basic assumptions

• Be aware of your mental processes

• Try reversing things

• Evaluate the existing evidence

• Remember to think for yourself

• Understand that no one thinks criticall 100% of the

time

https://collegeinfogeek.com/improve-critical-thinking-skills/

Final Scenarios

Back to the Trolley Dilemma


track to maximize well-being (saving 5 people at the

expense of 1)


track because saving 5 lives is more charitable and

compassionate than just 1 life.

• Option 3: Don’t throw the switch. Stay on the track.

Strike and definitely kill the 5 workers

Did your option change after hearing today’s presentation?

Boone, 2017

Would you pass The Diaper Test?

“I imagine myself 40 years in the future. I’m 89 years

old. I’m in a nursing home, at the end of my life, and

wearing diapers. I’m looking back at my life… thinking

about how I behaved and the decisions I made. Would

I be proud of those decisions? Could I still, 40 years

later and while wearing diapers, hold my head up high

and say I wouldn’t have done it differently? That’s

the "Diaper Test." Because in the end, only you are the

one to judge you. So would you pass?” -Gene Marks, President of the Marks Group

How do you measure up?

• Did I do more good than harm today?

• Did I treat people with dignity and respect

today?

• Was I fair and just today?

• Was my community better because I was in

it? Was I better because I was in my

community?

https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-decision-making/everyday-ethics/

Resources

• Bailey, J. S. & Burch, M. R. (2005). Ethics for behavior

analysts. New York: Taylor and Francis Group.

• Boone, B. (2017). Ethics 101. Massachusetts: Adams Media

• Brodhead, M. T. & Higbee, T. S. Teaching and maintaining

ethical behavior in a professional organization. Behavior

Analysis in Practice, 5(2), 82-88.

• Martinez-Diaz, J. A., Freeman, T., Normand, M., & Heron, T.

(2007). Ethical considerations for applied behavior

analysts. In J. Cooper, T. Heron, & W. Heward (Ed.),

Applied Behavior Analysis (pp. 658-678). New Jersey:

Pearson Education, Inc.

• Quigley, S. (2019). Ethics Potpourri: Philosophy, Research,

Supervision, and Practice: Penn ABA Conference.

Pennsylvania

how ethical philosophies drive our decision making

Documents