Ethics Flashcards
Psychologists can use animals in research if what 2 conditions are met?
- It is in compliance with current federal, state, and local laws and regulations, and with professional standards.; 2. Reasonable efforts are made to minimize discomfort, infection, illness, and pain to animals.
________ always takes precedence over the need
to educate or punish an offending psychologist,
which must always be considered before filing a
complaint.
Client Confidentiality
Psychologists are required to work within the boundaries of their ___________, which can be based on their education, training, supervised experience, consultation, study, or professional experience.
Competence
When recording voices and/or images in research, when is informed consent not required?
When the research consists solely of naturalistic observations in public places, and it is not anticipated that the recording will be used in a manner that could cause personal identification or harm
What course of action should you take if you discover a colleague has been violating an ethical standard that puts no clients in direct harm?
Attempt to resolve the problem informally by
discussing the matter with the offender
What is the legal concept that protects a
client’s confidentiality in the context of legal proceedings?
Privilege
Informed consent is provided during debriefing
When the problem involves “substantial harm”
and is not appropriate for an informal resolution or
has not been resolved satisfactorily by an attempt
at an informal resolution
Typically,________ is the holder of the privilege.
The Client
In a consultative relationship, when is it appropriate to disclose confidential client information?
- When the consultant and consultee have a confidential relationship;
- If the consultee has obtained prior consent of
the person or organization; - If disclosure is unavoidable
What has the data on sexual misconduct by therapists
consistently shown?
Male therapists violate much more than female
therapists, and they are usually older (42-44 y/o)
than the female clients (30-33 y/o) they become
involved with
A psychologist has been meeting regularly with a child
whose parents recently filed for divorce and have requested a child custody evaluation. What
course of action should the psychologist take?
While not required, The Guidelines state psychologists generally avoid conducting such evaluations when s/he has served in a therapeutic role for the child or their family
What relationships have been found between risk
for sexual misconduct and theoretical orientation,
professional experience, or education?
None (Pope et al., 1993)
What 4 conditions must be met in order for a client to bring a claim of malpractice against a psychologist?
- Psychologist must have had a professional relationship with the person;
- Must be a demonstrable standard of care breached by psychologist;
- Person suffered harm or injury;
- Harm or injury was proximally caused by psychologist’s breach of duty within context of standard of care
When can a psychologist use client testimonials?
When they are not solicited from current therapy clients or other persons who, because of their circumstances, are vulnerable to undue influence
Is it ever appropriate for a psychologist to pay, receive payment from, or divide fees with another professional for referring them a client?
No, this is unethical. All payments in such situations must be based on the services provided (e.g., clinical, consultative, administrative)
What legal decision originally established a psychologists “duty to warn,” which later became a “duty to protect?”
The Tarasoff Decision, which regards a client’s admission of intent to harm another person
A ________ refers to a person who testifies as to what they saw, heard, or otherwise observed regarding a circumstance, event or occurrence as it actually took place.
Fact Witness
Bartering is allowed only if what two conditions are
met?
- It is not clinically contraindicated;
2. It is not exploitative
________ are allowed to offer professional opinions and provide testimony based on hypothetical scenarios, while ________ cannot.
Expert Witnesses;
Fact Witnesses
In a legal proceeding, if a defendant lacks sufficient present ability to consult with his lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational understanding, and a rational as well as a factual understanding of the proceedings against him/her, s/he is deemed ________.
Incompetent to stand trial
When taking on a new therapy client, when should a
psychologist obtain informed consent?
As early as is feasible- should include nature and anticipated course of therapy, fees, 3rd party involvement, limits of confidentiality, and provide
client opportunity to ask questions and receive answers
A person who by reason of education or specialized experience possesses superior knowledge regarding a subject about which persons having no particular training are incapable of forming an accurate opinion or deducing correct conclusions is referred to as an ________.
Expert Witness
Are psychologists required by the Ethics Code to provide Pro Bono services?
No, however the General Principles, which are aspirational in nature, promote it
Is it ethical for psychologists to engage in sexual
behavior with students or supervisees?
No. In fact, it is unethical for a psychologist to engage in sexual relations with anyone they are likely to have
evaluative authority over
Psychologists are to refrain from entering into a multiple
relationship when?
If the relationship can be reasonably expected to impair the psychologist’s objectivity, competence, or effectiveness, or otherwise risks exploitation or harm to the client
The Client Welfare standard of the APA Ethics Code
requires what?
That reasonable steps are taken by psychologists to avoid and minimize harm to clients, students, research participants, and others with whom they work
What is the first step a psychologist should take when
they receive a subpoena?
Determine if the subpoena is a legally valid demand
What conditions must be met for deception to ethically be used in research?
- Deception is justified by the study’s prospective scientific, educational, applied value and effective non-deceptive alternatives are not feasible;
- Participants are not deceived about conditions that might cause significant pain or emotional distress;
- Participants are debriefed preferably at end of their
participation, but no later than conclusion of data collection
Following an evaluation, are psychologists allowed to provide clients with raw test data if the client requests it?
Yes, it would unethical not to do so. However, there are some exceptions if the psychologist believes the test data could harm the client
The “Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services to Ethnic, Linguistic, and Culturally Diverse Populations” presents principles that are ________ in nature.
Aspirational
TRUE or FALSE:
In some situations, it is ethical for a psychologist to withhold reporting a case of known child abuse.
FALSE: All jurisdictions require psychologists to report known cases of child abuse to the appropriate authorities
Is it ethical or unethical to deny employment, admission to academic or other programs, advancement, or
promotion to someone who has previously made or been the subject of an ethics complaint?
Unethical
Sliding fee scales are generally considered acceptable as long as they are ________.
Fair and serve the best interests of the client
What is FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy
Act of 1974)?
It prohibits educational institutions receiving federal funds from disclosing personally identifying information from student records without the consent of the student or legal guardian (if under 18); also grants right to inspect one’s educational records
In deciding whether to provide services to a person already receiving mental health services elsewhere, what should a psychologist consider?
The treatment issues and the potential client’s welfare. These issues are discussed with the client and the psychologist should proceed with caution
A legal concept referring to a persons incapacity to determine right from wrong or to behave according to the requirements of the law.
Insanity, which is not a psychological concept, but used
in a purely legal sense
Psychologists are to act ________ and ________ when teaching, supervising, and designing education
and training programs.
Competently; Responsibly
Publication credit is given based primarily on ________.
Relative scientific or professional contributions of the
individuals involved, regardless of their relative status
In-person solicitation of business from actual or potential therapy clients or other persons is unethical when it involves what?
Solicitation of people who, due to their particular
circumstances, are vulnerable to undue influence
TRUE or FALSE:
Psychologists can base assessment/intervention decisions or recommendations
on tests, measures, data, or test results that are outdated or obsolete.
FALSE: Only tests that are useful to the current
purpose can be used ethically
________ refers to the obligation of psychologists
to protect clients from unauthorized disclosure of
information revealed in the context of the professional
relationship.
Confidentiality
How is Sexual Harassment defined by APA’s Ethics Code?
Sexual solicitation, physical advances, or verbal or nonverbal conduct that is sexual in nature, occurs in connection with the psychologist’s activities or roles as a psychologist, and either (1) is obviously unwelcome, offensive, or creates a hostile environment or (2) is sufficiently severe to be abusive to a reasonable person in the context
These were adopted as a means of self-regulation in the public interest, and its provisions are general and aspirational.
The General Guidelines for Providers of Psychological
Services
Who is responsible for the appropriate application,
interpretation, and use of assessment instruments
scored and interpreted by automated services?
The administering psychologist retains responsibility
Upon termination, what does the Ethics Code state a psychologist should do?
Terminate therapy
Regarding client records, who is the owner of the physical record?
Typically, the psychologist, while the client has the right
to inspect the contents of the record
Upon termination, what does the Ethics Code state
a psychologist should do?
Provide pre-termination counseling and suggest alternative service providers as appropriate
