Ethical Standard3.Human Relations

Question 1

What does Standard 3.01 Unfair Discrimination prohibit a psychologists from doing?

Answer 1

prohibits a psychologist from engaging in unfair discrimination based on age, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, or any basis proscribed by law.

Question 2

What type of behavior do psychologists knowingly avoid engaging in with persons with whom they interact in their work?

Answer 2

Harassing or demeaning behavior based on factors such as those persons’ age, gender identity, race,ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, or socioeconomic status.

Question 3

Although psychologists are prohibited from unfair discrimination and harassing against people, the prohibition excludes or allows psychologists to…?

Answer 3

Refuse to provide services to individuals they do not feel competent to serve Or to “difficult” individuals

• It is more appropriate for a psychologist to refer an individual who “stirs up troubling feelings or anger in the therapist” than to treat the individual him/herself
• This is also addressed in Standard 10.10(b) which states that psychologists “may terminate therapy when threatened or otherwise endangered by the client/patient or another person with whom the client has a relationship.”

Question 4

What is Standard 3.02 Sexual Harassment and do psychologists engage in sexual harassment?

Answer 4

Sexual Harassment is sexual solicitation, physical advances, or verbal or nonverbal conduct that is sexual in nature, that occurs in connection with the psychologist’s activities or roles as a psychologist, and that either

(1) is unwelcome, is offensive, or creates a hostile workplace or educational environment, and the psychologist knows or is told this or
(2) is sufficiently severe or intense to be abusive to a reasonable person in the context.

Question 5

Can Sexual Harassment consist of one or more acts?

Answer 5

3.02Sexual Harassment can consist of a single intense or severe act or of multiple persistent or pervasive acts. (See also Standard 1.08, Unfair Discrimination Against Complainants and Respondents)

Question 6

How do the courts utilize the standard of “unreasonable” to determine sexual harassment?

Answer 6

3.02Unreasonable is used to determine if a behavior constitutes sexual harassment. While some behaviors are clearly unreasonable (e.g., an employer expects “sexual favors” from an employee), others are more ambiguous.In certain situations, the individual’s response to the behavior may help establish unreasonableness.Ex: If an employee asks her boss to stop commenting on her physical appearance, she has defined that behavior as offensive;and if the boss does not stop, he/she may be vulnerable to a charge of sexual harassment.

Question 7

How are the terms “quid pro quo” and “hostile environment” used to determine sexual harassment?

Answer 7

3.02The terms “quid pro quo” (“this for that”) and “hostile environment” are also used in deciding whether a behavior constitutes sexual harassment:
Quid pro quo refers to an explicit or implicit requirement to trade SEXUAL FAVORS for a promotion, raise, or other tangible job benefit.
Hostile environment involves OFFENSIVE BEHAVIORS that make it difficult for an employee to perform his/her job. Includes sexual gestures, jokes, remarks, and pictures.

Question 8

Who do psychologists avoid harming and how do they try to minimize harm?

Answer 8

Standard 3.04 Avoiding Harm
Psychologists take reasonable steps to avoid harming their clients/patients, students, supervisees, research participants, organizational clients, and others whom they work, and to minimize harm where it is forseable and unavoidable.

Question 9

When do psychologists get into a multiple relationship?

Answer 9

Standard 3.05 Multiple Relationships

(a) A multiple relationship occurs when the psychologist is in a professional role with a person and
(1) AT the SAME time is in ANOTHER ROLE with the SAME person
(2) At the SAME TIME is in a Relationship with a Person closely Associated with or RELATED to the person with whom the psychologist has the professional relationship, or
(3) PROMISES to enter into ANOTHER RELATIONSHIP in the FUTURE with the person or a person closely associated with or related to the person.

Question 10

When does a psychologist refrain from entering a multiple relationship?

Answer 10

3.05 A psychologists refrains from entering into a multiple relationship if the multiple relationship could reasonably be expected to impair the psychologist’s OBJECTIVITY, COMPETENCE, or EFFECTIVENESS in performing his or her functions as a psychologist, or otherwise risks exploitation or harm to the person with whom the professional relationship exists.

Question 11

Are there multiple relationships that are not unethical?

Answer 11

3.05 Yes, multiple relationships that WOULD NOT REASONABLY be expected to Cause Impairment or RIsk Exploitation or Harm are NOT UNETHICAL.

Question 12

Due to unforeseen factors, If a potentially harmful multiple relationship has arisen, how does the psychologist handle the situation?

Answer 12

3.05 (b) The psychologist takes REASONABLE STEPS to resolve it with due regard for the best interests of the affected person and maximal compliance with the Ethics Code. Seek consultation to identify the most appropriate course of action.

Question 13

How do psychologists proceed when they are required by law, institutional policy, or extraordinary circumstances to serve in more than one role in judicial or administrative proceedings?

Answer 13

3.05 (c) At the outset, psychologists clarify ROLE Expectations and the extent of confidentiality and thereafter as changes occur.

Ex: Forensic setting: It would be unacceptable for a psychologist to act as both an expert witness for the court and an advocate for the defendant because there is likely to be a conflict between the legal system’s goals and the needs of the defendant (Fisher& Younggreen,1997)

Ex:In other situation may be acceptable multiple relationship.The Guidelines for Psychological Evaluations in Child Protection Matters (APA, 2011) states that, while psychologists should ordinarily avoid conducting evaluations in child protection cases when they have previously served as therapist to the child or the child’s immediate family, this does not preclude them from “testifying in cases as fact or expert witnesses concerning therapeutic treatment of the children, parents, or families” (pp.20-21).

Question 14

If a psychologist’s personal, scientific, professional, legal, financial, or other interests or relationships conflict, do psychologists refrain from taking on a professional role?

Answer 14

Standard 3.06 Conflict of Interest

Yes, Psychologists refrain from taking a professional role when personal, scientific, professional, legal, financial, or other interests or relationships could reasonably be expected to:

(1) Impair their OBJECTIVITY, COMPETENCE, or EFFECTIVENESS in performing their functions as psychologists or
(2) Expose the person or organization with whom the professional relationship exists to HARM or Exploitation.

Question 15

When psychologists agree to provide services to a person or entity at the request of a third party, what do psychologists attempt to clarify at the outset?

Answer 15

Standard 3.07 Third-Party Requests for Services

The nature of the Relationship with All individuals or organizations involved, including clarification of role of psychologist(e.g., therapist, consultant, diagnostician, or expert witness), an identification of who is the client, the probable uses of the services provided or the information obtained, and the fact that there may be limits of confidentiality.

(See also Standards 3.05, Multiple relationships, and 4.02 Discussing the Limits of Confidentiality)

Clarifying “Who is the client?”
Ex: When hired by emploer to evaluate employees for promotability, psychologists is ethically obligated to inform each employee about purpose and implications of the evaluation and what info will be shared with the employer and to let employer know that only info shared about employees that is relevant to the purpose of evaluation

Question 16

Who do psychologists avoid exploiting?

Answer 16

Standard 3.08 Exploitative Relationships

Psychologists do not exploit persons whom they have supervisory,evaluative, or other authority such as clients/patients, students, supervisees, research participants, and employees.

Question 17

When do psychologists cooperate with other professionals?

Answer 17

3.09 Cooperation with Other Professionals

Psychologists cooperate with other professionals when indicated and professionally indicated in order to serve their clients/patients effectively and appropriately.
(See 4.05 Disclosures)

Question 18

When do psychologists obtain informed consent and legally what are the 3 conditions that must be met for true “informed” consent?

Answer 18

Standard 3.10 Informed Consent

(a) Psychologists obtain informed consent when conducting research or to provide assessment, therapy, counseling, or consulting services in person or via electronic transmission or other forms of communication.

True informed consent 3 conditions:

1) CAPACITY: The individual is able to make rational decisions
2) COMPREHENSION: The individual is given adequate information and understands the information sufficiently to make an informed decision
3) VOLUNTARINESS: The individual has given consent freely (without coercion)

Question 19

How do psychologists obtain informed consent and are there exceptions to obtaining informed consent?

Answer 19

3.10 (a) Psychologists obtain informed consent from an individual or individuals using language that is reasonably understandable to that person or persons.
EXCEPTIONS to informed consent: Activities mandated by law or governmental regulation or otherwise provided in this Ethics Code (see Standards 8.02 Informed Consent to Research; 9.03 Informed Consent in Assessments; and 10.01 Informed Consent in Therapy).

Question 20

When a person is legally incapable of giving informed consent what do psychologists do?

Answer 20

3. 10 (b) Psychologists:
   (1) provide an appropriate explanation
   (2) seek the individual’s assent
   (3) consider such persons’ preferences and best interests
   (4) obtain appropriate permission from a legally authorized person, if such substitute consent is permitted or required by law. When consent is by a legally authorized person is not permitted or required by law, psychologists take reasonable steps to protect the individual’s rights and welfare.

Question 21

When psychological services are court mandated or otherwise mandated what do psychologists need to inform the individual whom is participating in the services?

Answer 21

3.10 (c) Psychologists inform the individual of the nature of the anticipated services, including whether the services are court mandated or mandated and any limits of confidentiality, before proceeding.

Question 22

How do psychologists document informed consent/assent?

Answer 22

3.10 (d) Psychologists appropriately document written or oral consent, permission, and assent. (see also Standards 8.02 informed consent to research; 9.03 informed consent in assessments; and 10.01 informed consent to therapy)

Question 23

What information do psychologists provide beforehand to clients and when appropriate those directly affected by the services provided when delivering psychological services to or through organizations?

Answer 23

3.11 Psychological Services Delivered To or Through Organizations
(a) Psychologists delivering services to or through organizations provide info beforehand to clients and those affected by the services about:
(1) the nature and objectives of the services
(2) the intended recipients
(3) which of the individuals are clients
(4) the relationship the psychologist will have with each person and the organization
(5) the probable uses of services provided and information obtained
(6) who will have access to the information
(7) limits of confidentiality
As soon as is feasible, psychologists provide information about the results and conclusions of such services to appropriate persons.

Question 24

If psychologists are precluded by law or by organizational roles from providing information to particular individuals or groups when do psychologists notify individuals or groups about this information?

Answer 24

3.11 (b) Psychologists inform those individuals or groups at the OUTSET of the Service, if information will not be disclosed/shared due to law or organizational roles.

Question 25

What factors may interrupt the psychological services and what do psychologists typically do in that situation?

Answer 25

3.12 Interruption of Psychological Services
Unless otherwise covered by contract, Psychologists make reasonable efforts to plan for facilitating services in the event that psychological services are interrupted by factors such as:
psychologist’s illness, death, unavailability, relocation, or retirement or by the client’s/patient’s relocation or financial limitations (see also standard 6.02c maintenance, dissemination, and disposal of confidential records of professional and scientific work)

Question 26

Gottlieb(1993) recommends that psychologists consider 3 factors when determining the acceptability of a multiple relationship, describe the 3 factors.

Answer 26

305(c)

(1) Power Differential: How great is the difference in power between the psychologist and the other person? The more influence the psychologist has over the individual, the less likely that the relationship is ethical.
(2) Duration of the Relationship: What is (was) the length of each relationship? The longer the duration of either relationship, the more dubious the acceptability of the multiple relationship.
(3) Clarity of Termination: What is the likelihood that the individual will desire additional professional services in the future? If there is a chance that either relationship will continue (e.g., that the individual will want to return for additional therapy later) , the less acceptable the multiple relationship.

Ex: Likely acceptable multiple relationship
psychologist might consider initiating a relationship with parents of a child whom she assisted once through a painful medical procedure which need to be repeated. in this case, psychologists had great power, but only brief, clearly defined time period, and termination professional relationship, although indeterminate duration and uncertain termination, involves little or no power differential(p.46).