E-11: Identify personal biases and how they might interfere with professional activity ©
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Target Term: personal bias
Personal Bias
Definition: A personal bias is a history of reinforcement that manifests in a way that may (intentionally or not) lead us to treat others unfairly/discriminate against them. We all have biases, because we all have histories of reinforcement.
We do need to be open to becoming aware of our own biases, but we don’t necessarily need to take a deep dive into our pasts. This may be particularly unnecessary or inappropriate in professional relationships.
Example: Claire is open to feedback from her supervisor, Davide, who points out that Claire seems to always pick male staff members to shadow. Claire reflects on this information, and decides that she would like to consider being more thoughtful about designing gender-neutral criteria for whether or not to accept a shadowing opportunity as part of her clinical time. (An example of a situation that could have created this bias is a history of working or learning in a setting where male staff were significantly more common, or seen as more competent or knowledgeable.)
Why it matters: Bias matters because it results in people being treated unfairly, which is not cool. Being open to feedback, and actively seeking support in identifying patterns of behavior that might be discriminatory, is really important in our learning process. Other people are often better positioned to see our patterns of responding than we are! Normalizing conversations about bias is healthy.
Please note some super important FAQs about the Ethics part of the TCO:
Is the Ethics Code part of the Task List or Test Content Outline? Well..not really. Unlike the rest of the TCO, which is its “own thing,” Part E is really a highlight reel of a separate and longer document. That document is called the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (link here). Remember that the TCO reflects the parts of the Ethics Code that will show up on the certification exam.
If I go through the TCO items in section E, do I really need to read the actual code? Seems long and boring. YES, you totally and absolutely DO need to read the entire Ethics Code for our profession. Prepping to be a professional is not just about passing a test.
How do I interpret the Ethics Code in specific situations? That’s not for us to tell you. The ethics sections were trickier for us to put together than the other items in the review section. That’s because the items having to do with the science of behavior are straightforward, in a factual sense. Ethics codes are subject to interpretation, cultural influence, and changes over time. We have done our best to help you understand without telling you what to think. Our best advice? Become familiar with ethical problem solving models, and talk to colleagues, supervisors, and mentors.