Uncovering the Invisible You: Ethics, Self-Deception, and Radical Honesty
Most ethics programs focus on what we should do. This one asks who we really are.
“Uncovering the Invisible You” is a 3-hour course in behavioral ethics that challenges participants to explore the internal, often unconscious forces that shape ethical decision-making. Far from simply following rules, ethical clarity requires deep internal transparency—a willingness to recognize how our beliefs, biases, and self-protective instincts affect how we see the world and ourselves.
Drawing on neuroscience and behavioral research, this course explores how neurotransmitters like dopamine, oxytocin, and cortisol can distort self-perception, how we unknowingly process disconfirming information differently, and why cognitive blind spots such as framing effects, diffusion of responsibility, and biased reasoning often operate below conscious awareness.
Participants will discover why being honest with ourselves is far more difficult (and more important) than it seems—and why it may also be the most transformative professional growth opportunity we can undertake. Through discussion, case studies, and practical exercises, attendees will learn cognitive priming techniques, third-party objectivity tools, and mental reframing strategies that help bring unconscious distortions to light.
This exploration of the hidden self is not only enlightening—it’s fun. Participants will engage with provocative ideas, interactive tools, and unexpected insights that reshape how we think about ethics, leadership, and ourselves.
Field of Study: Behavioral Ethics/OHIO PSR
Credit Hours: 3.0
Who Should Attend:
This course is ideal for CPAs, auditors, compliance officers, attorneys, risk managers, and other professionals in roles requiring ethical decision-making—especially those interested in the cognitive and behavioral science behind ethical clarity and integrity.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Recognize at least one neuroscience-based factor or behavioral distortion—such as framing effects, diffusion of responsibility, or neurotransmitter influence—that may unconsciously impair ethical clarity.
- Identify at least one strategy (e.g., cognitive priming, third-party mental models, or future-self distancing) that can increase awareness of internal biases and improve ethical self-recognition.
- Apply at least one technique to recognize and correct biased processing of disconfirming or uncomfortable information in order to support greater internal transparency and ethical alignment.
Toby Groves, Ph.D. is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing NATIONAL REGISTRY OF professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE sponsors through its website: www.NASBARegistry.org
