Code Standards 9 and 10 Flashcards
Question ID #12665: Your new client is a 37-year-old woman whose symptoms meet the diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder. After your third session with her, she tells you that she was in treatment with another psychologist but terminated therapy six weeks ago after the psychologist made sexual advances toward her. She does not want you to discuss this matter with anyone. The best course of action in this situation would be to:
Select one:
A.
inform the client of the limits of confidentiality in this situation and report the unethical behavior.
B.
inform the client of the limits of confidentiality in this situation and contact the other psychologist.
C.
discuss the client’s options with her and maintain her confidentiality unless she signs a release.
D.
tell the woman that the psychologist’s behavior was unethical and suggest that she file a complaint against him.
The correct answer is C.
The APA’s Ethics Code requires psychologists to take action when they learn of an ethical violation by another psychologist but only after considering the client’s confidentiality. This answer is most consistent with the requirements of the Ethics Code and also addresses the best interests of the client—i.e., it is often in the best interests of a client to allow him/her to determine what action should be taken.
Answers A and B: These responses can be eliminated because they do not thoroughly consider client confidentiality.
Answer D: This is not the best answer because it imposes your preference on the client rather than allowing the client to make her own decision.
Question ID #12682: You have been seeing Alonzo Alvarez in therapy for over six months and believe he is no longer benefitting from his sessions with you. However, when you discuss the possibility of ending therapy, he says he’s very happy with the progress he is making and wants to continue. As an ethical psychologist, you:
Select one:
A.
agree to continue seeing Alonzo since he is satisfied with the progress of therapy.
B.
agree to continue seeing Alonzo for a specified period of time but, at the end of that period, insist on ending therapy.
C.
explain to Alonzo that these are normal reactions to the end of therapy and set a date for termination.
D.
see if additional goals for treatment can be identified but, if not, set a date for termination and provide Alonzo with referrals if appropriate.
The correct answer is D.
Termination of therapy is addressed in Standard 10.10 of the Ethics Code. Standard 10.10 states that “psychologists terminate therapy when it becomes reasonably clear that the client/patient no longer needs the service, is not likely to benefit, or is being harmed by continued service…. Except where precluded by the actions of clients/patients or third-party payors, prior to termination psychologists provide pre-termination counseling and suggest alternative service providers as appropriate.”
Answer A: This would not be ethical if it was clear that the client no longer needs the service or is no longer making progress in treatment.
Answer B: This answer does not address the question. It delays the solution and puts the therapist and client in the exact same position in the near future.
Answer C: This answer may be appropriate if it was clear that Alonzo had met his treatment goals and was ready to terminate. However, the prompt clearly states that he is “no longer benefiting from his sessions”, which means he may not be ready to terminate and may need referrals. Thus, answer D is the best answer.
Question ID #12683: Which of the following best describes a psychologist’s ethical requirements with regard to the use of computer-assisted psychological test scoring and interpretation services?
Select one:
A.
These services are acceptable but the psychologist is responsible for their appropriate application and use.
B.
These services are acceptable and the publisher is responsible for ensuring they provide accurate information.
C.
These services are acceptable only when the interpretations are based on objective data.
D.
These services are acceptable only in the “most unusual circumstances.”
The correct answer is A.
The use of computer-assisted scoring and interpretation services is addressed in Standard 9.09 of the APA’s Ethics Code. This Standard states: “(b) Psychologists select scoring and interpretation services (including automated services) on the basis of the validity of the program and procedures as well as on other appropriate considerations…. (c) Psychologists retain responsibility for the appropriate application, interpretation, and use of assessment instruments, whether they score and interpret such tests themselves or use automated or other services.”
Answer B: The psychologist is responsible.
Answers C and D: These answer are both inaccurate.
Question ID #12699: Dr. Rita Ryan is a psychotherapist in a small town. She receives a phone call from a man she was sexually involved with several years ago. The relationship lasted for only four months and ended amicably. The man is now married and is having problems unrelated to his relationship with Dr. Ryan. He has called to see if he can begin seeing her in therapy. Dr. Ryan should:
Select one:
A.
see the man in therapy only if she determines that their past relationship will not impair her objectivity.
B.
see the man only if their relationship ended more than two years ago and she determines that it will not impair her objectivity.
C.
see the man but discuss the potential for conflicts with him before beginning treatment.
D.
refer the man to a colleague.
The correct answer is D.
This situation is addressed by Standard 10.07 of the APA’s Ethics Code. Standard 10.07 states that “psychologists do not accept as therapy clients/patients persons with whom they have engaged in sexual intimacies.” There is no time limit on this prohibition.
Answer A: This would be unethical.
Answer B: This would violate Standard 10.07.
Answer C: She cannot ethically treat him.
Question ID #12700: Dr. Lisa Lopez has been treating Glenn G. for depression for three weeks. During their most recent session, Glenn disclosed that he has also been seeing another therapist for several months. As an ethical psychologist, Dr. Lopez should:
Select one:
A.
tell Glenn she cannot continue seeing him in therapy since he is receiving services from another professional.
B.
tell Glenn that he will need to decide which therapist he wishes to continue seeing within the next few weeks.
C.
discuss this issue with Glenn and consult with the other therapist after getting Glenn’s approval to do so.
D.
continue therapy with Glenn since he has not expressed a desire to stop.
The correct answer is C.
This answer is most consistent with the requirements of Standard 10.04. Dr. Lopez should discuss the issue with Glenn, determine if there is a duplication of services (e.g., Glenn may be seeing a behavioral therapist who is helping him stop smoking), and, if appropriate, consult with the other therapist after obtaining Glenn’s permission to do so. Of course, if the two therapists are providing duplicate services, Glenn will have to eventually choose between them, but that is not the best initial action as the psychologist should first discuss the reason Glenn is meeting with the other therapist.
Answer A: If the psychologist and therapist are treating different issues, there is no need to discontinue treatment with Glenn at this time.
Answer B: The client may not be duplicating services.
Answer D: The therapist would need to first verify that services are not being duplicated.
Question ID #12701: Dr. Blitz has been seeing a client for four months. The client mentioned that he is very dissatisfied with the progress of therapy in the last two sessions. Dr. Blitz should:
Select one:
A.
tell the client that he can’t expect major changes in only four months.
B.
encourage the client to schedule more frequent sessions.
C.
help the client work through his resistance.
D.
discuss the matter with the client and provide him with referrals if he desires.
The correct answer is D.
Standard 10.10(a) of the APA’s Ethics Code applies to this situation. Standard 10.10(a) states that psychologists must terminate therapy when it is reasonably clear that the client is no longer benefiting from it. Even though four months is not a long duration for therapy in many situations, the client should not be pressured to continue.
Answer A: This is not the best answer as it dismisses the client’s concerns.
Answer B: This negates the client’s concerns.
Answer C: This is not the best answer as this interpretation may not be accurate.
Question ID #12702: A 40-year-old therapist becomes attracted to a 38-year-old client and soon realizes that the feelings are mutual. They discuss the situation and agree to terminate therapy and begin dating immediately. This is:
Select one:
A.
ethical since they terminated therapy before beginning to date.
B.
ethical since the client is an adult and voluntarily agreed to stop therapy.
C.
unethical because the therapist can not begin dating a former client immediately after terminating therapy.
D.
unethical unless the therapist and client received counseling related to this issue when they began dating.
The correct answer is C.
Sexual relationships with former therapy clients are addressed in Standard 10.08 of the APA’s Ethics Code, and additional information about this issue is provided in the Ethics and Professional Issues chapter of the written study materials. Standard 10.08 prohibits psychologists from becoming sexually involved with former therapy clients within two years of terminating the professional relationship and, even then, the relationship may be acceptable only in “the most unusual circumstances.”
Answers A, B, and D: Dating the client would still be unethical in all these scenarios since the romantic relationship began immediately after terminating therapy. Additional conditions as described above must also be met to make this an ethical dating relationship.
Question ID #12703: Part of your job as a licensed psychologist at a mental health clinic is to administer intelligence, personality, and other tests to child, adolescent, and adult clients. To reduce your workload, you train an employee of the clinic to administer many of the tests and to write interpretive reports. The employee is one semester away from a B.A. in psychology and has already been accepted into a Psy.D. program for the following year. Which of the following is true about this situation?
Select one:
A.
You are acting ethically since it is up to you to decide if the employee is sufficiently competent to administer tests and interpret their results.
B.
You are acting ethically as long as you supervise the employee’s work.
C.
You are acting unethically because only people who have completed some graduate-level work should administer psychological tests.
D.
You are acting unethically because the employee is not qualified to interpret psychological tests.
The correct answer is D.
Standard 9.07 of the APA’s Ethics Code prohibits psychologists from promoting the use of tests by unqualified persons unless it is being done for training purposes under appropriate supervision. A person who is working on a B.A. in psychology may be qualified to administer some psychological tests but is does not have the qualifications or full education to interpret their results. Although it is true that it is up to the psychologist to decide when an employee is qualified to administer tests, in this case, this employee is not qualified to interpret them.
Answer A: The Ethics code prohibits psychologist from promoting the use of tests by unqualified persons.
Answer B: This is not true.
Answer C: You are acting unethically because the employee is not qualified.
Question ID #12716: A client you have been seeing in therapy for seven weeks tells you that her ex-husband is threatening to kill you because he blames you for her unwillingness to get back together with him. From your conversations with the client, you know that the man has a history of violent behavior and that his threat against you must be taken seriously. As an ethical psychologist:
Select one:
A.
you must continue seeing the client and should contact the police to obtain protection only with the client’s consent to do so.
B.
you must continue seeing the client but may contact the police to obtain protection with or without the client’s consent to do so.
C.
you may terminate therapy with the client and may contact the police to obtain protection with or without the client’s consent to do so.
D.
you may terminate therapy with the client but should contact the police to obtain protection only with the client’s consent to do so.
The correct answer is C.
Terminating therapy with a client in this situation is addressed in Standard 10.10(b) of the APA’s Ethics Code. Standard 10.10(b) states that “psychologists may terminate therapy when threatened or otherwise endangered by the client/patient or another person with whom the client/patient has a relationship.” In addition, prohibitions against breaching client confidentiality do not apply if the psychologist needs to contact the police or others to obtain protection for him/herself (see, e.g., C. B. Fisher, Decoding the Ethics Code: A practical guide for psychologists, Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage Publications, 2003).
Answer A: Consent is not needed and you may terminate with the client.
Answer B: You do not have to continue seeing the client.
Answer D: You do not need the client’s consent.
Question ID #12718: As defined in the APA’s Ethics Code, a psychologist would be violating test security when he:
Select one:
A.
shows a parent the questions from a standardized test when discussing the child’s test results.
B.
discusses a client’s responses to several test items to help the client understand why she received a low score.
C.
provides a client with the exact scale and subscale scores she obtained on a standardized test.
D.
engages in any of the activities described in the above answers.
The correct answer is A.
Test security is addressed in Standard 9.11 of the APA’s Ethics Code. Standard 9.11 defines “test materials” as manuals, instruments, protocols, and test questions and states that “psychologists make reasonable efforts to maintain the integrity and security of test materials and other assessment techniques.” The Code also distinguishes between test materials and test data, which include raw and scaled scores, client responses to test items, and the psychologist’s notes about the client’s responses and behaviors during testing.
Answers B, C, and D: In most circumstances, providing the client with specific information about the results of test data is acceptable and does not represent a breach of test security. However, psychologists are mandated to protect the security of test materials.
