Behavior modification: doing battle in the ethical arena.

Behavior modification, designed to change behavior, is a social intervention. While the ethical considerations of all types of social intervention would appear similar, behavior modification is often used as the forum for discussing them. Such frequent use creates the impression that the field is riddled with numerous, unique ethical problems, which in turn contribute to an already questionable image. A variety of factors which have led to the use of behavior modification in this manner and the consequences of this approach are discussed.