ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the evolution of the BACB Code of Ethics from its inception as “Guidelines” in the early 2000s to the current Ethics for Behavior Analysts. In the 1960s, our field was referred to as “behavior modification.” In behavior modification, the primary focus was on simply reducing a dangerous or disruptive behavior regardless of the “cause.” M&Ms were used as rewards, and Tabasco and lemon juice were applied as aversive consequences in institutions with individuals who had developmental disabilities. The 1970s brought us an ethical scandal unearthed at Sunland Miami. This scandal proved to have a silver lining with the advent of human rights committees and the concept of certification. Behavior analysis was off to a rocky start, and it is somewhat amazing that our field pulled out of this destructive rut in the 1980s and recognized the critical importance of finding the function of behaviors. Functional behavior analysis helped us understand the need to find functional (causal) variables for behavior before starting treatment.
