Ethics Oral Exam Flashcards
What are the 4 principles of the ethics code?
Principle I: Respect for the Dignity of Persons and Peoples
Principle II: Responsible Caring
Principle III: Integrity in Relationships
Principle IV: Responsibility to Society
What is the first Principle in the code and its general value statement?
Principle I: Respect for the Dignity of Persons and Peoples
Strive to develop and maintain constructive relationships that reflect the fundamental principle of respect for dignity. Respect for dignity is the most fundamental and universally found ethical principle across disciplines, and includes the concepts of equal inherent worth, non-discrimination, moral rights, distributive, social and natural justice.
Each human should be treated primarily as a person, not as an object or means to an end, and is worthy of equal moral consideration.
What is Principle I? What are the respective values and standards for Principle I?
Principle I: Respect for the Dignity of Persons and Peoples
Values and Standards:
- General Respect
- General Rights
- Non-Discrimination
- Informed Consent
- Freedom of Consent
- Fair Treatment/Due Process
- Vulnerabilities
- Privacy
- Confidentiality
- Extended Responsibility
What is Principle II? What are the respective values and standards for Principle II?
Principle II: Responsible Caring
Values and Standards:
- General Caring
- Competency/Self-Knowledge
- Risk/Benefit Analysis
- Maximize Benefit
- Minimize Harm
- Offset/Correct Harm
- Care of Animals
- Extended Responsibility
What is Principle III? What are the respective values and standards for Principle III?
Principle III: Integrity in Relationships
Values and Standards:
- Accuracy/Honesty
- Objectivity/Lack of Bias
- Straightforwardness/Openness
- Avoidance of Deception
- Avoidance of Conflict of Interest
- Reliance on the Discipline
- Extended Responsibility
What is Principle IV? What are the respective values and standards for Principle IV?
Principle IV: Responsibility to Society
Values and Standards:
- Development of Knowledge
- Beneficial Activities
- Respect for Society
- Development of Society
- Extended Responsibility
What is the second Principle in the code and its general value statement?
Principle II: Responsible Caring
Value Statement: Activities will benefit members of society, or at least, do no harm. You need to demonstrate active concern for the well-being and best interests of the individuals and groups (e.g., couples, families, groups, communities, peoples), both for direct and indirect activities.
It was called responsible caring to emphasize proactive ethics, rather than just do no harm.
What is the third Principle in the code and its general value statement?
Principle III: Integrity in Relationships
Value Statement: Embody implicit and explicit mutual expectations of integrity to advance scientific knowledge and to maintain the public’s confidence in the discipline of psychology. Commitment to truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, straightforwardness, openness, maximization of objectivity, minimization of bias, avoidance of conflicts of interests. In addition, self-knowledge and the use of critical analysis.
Examples of not meeting this principle: fraud, dishonesty, false data
What is the fourth Principle in the code and its general value statement?
Principle IV: Responsibility to Society
Value Statement: Both in your work and as a private citizen, you have a responsibility to society in which you live and work, and to the welfare of all human beings in those societies. You will increase knowledge and conduct your affairs in a way that promotes the welfare of all human beings.
What are the 10 steps of ethical decision making, according to the code?
- Identify individuals and groups involved
- Identify ethically relevant issues and practices, as well as the context
- Consider your own biases/pressures/personal needs/self-interest
- Develop alternative courses of action
- Analysis of short-term, ongoing, and long-term risks/benefits for each option
- Choice of option (after codes, laws, regulations, etc. are applied/ considered)
- Action (and assuming responsibilities for consequences)
- Evaluation of results of the action
- Assumption of responsibility of action (correction of negative outcomes, re-engaging in the process)
- Appropriate proactive action to prevent future dilemmas
What is the difference between an ethical issue and an ethical dilemma, as outlined by NSBEP? With an example.
Ethical issues arise when clear-cut guidelines in the Code of Ethics provide a straightforward answer, allowing for quick resolution. An example of an ethical issue would be a psychologist being asked by their hairstylist to provide therapy services. The psychologist can easily determine that this violates the principle of avoiding dual relationships outlined in the Code of Ethics and decline the request accordingly.
Ethical dilemmas occur when conflicting ethical principles or standards are at play. An example of an ethical dilemma would be if the psychologist is the only mental health professional in a remote area and the hairstylist is in desperate need of therapy. In this scenario, the psychologist faces a conflict between the principle of avoiding dual relationships and the principle of responsible caring. They must weigh the potential harm of a dual relationship against the need for care, which complicates the decision-making process.
Explain what a limit of competence is? Provide an example.
“limits of competence” refer to the boundaries of a psychologist’s professional expertise, knowledge, and skills. Psychologists are ethically obligated to provide services only within the scope of their competence, ensuring that they possess the necessary training, education, and experience to deliver effective and ethical care to their clients.
An example of a limit of competence could be:
a psychologist who specializes in clinical psychology but lacks expertise in forensic psychology.
a psychologist who works with domestic violence, being asked to conduct an autism assessment.
The psychologist would be ethically obligated to recognize their limitations and refer the client to a colleague or specialist with the appropriate expertise in forensic psychology. This ensures that the client receives competent and appropriate care from a professional with the necessary qualifications and skills.
Explain why the ethical principles are ordered in the way that they are in the ethical code (and why they are weighted that way as well?)
The principles are ordered in a hierarchical manner, with each subsequent principle building upon and incorporating the values and obligations of the preceding ones. This hierarchical structure helps psychologists prioritize ethical considerations when faced with complex and conflicting situations, ensuring that they uphold the core values of the profession and act in the best interests of their clients and society.
What is a professional boundary, as well as the duties and virtues of boundaries? Give an example
A professional boundary refers to the role expectations of the psychologist-client relationship. You want to be able to navigate the relationship between too rigid of boundaries (i.e., under-involvement) and too diffuse of boundaries (e.g., over-involvement) to find a proper professional involvement. By adhering to these professional boundaries, psychologists uphold the ethical principles of respect for the dignity of persons, responsible caring, integrity in relationships, and responsibility to society, while promoting the welfare and well-being of their clients and the public.
Duties/Virtues of boundaries:
- Nonmaleficence (have no ill intent) and nonmalevolence (do no harm)
- Temperance (self-restraint)
Examples: Working in a different capacity at the Chrysalis House, Physical Boundary in the environment at the Chrysalis House, Social relationships, sexual relationships, physical contact, teaching and supervision, rural boundaries.
What are laws that are most relevant to the work of psychologists in Canada?
Health Information and Privacy Laws (Personal Health Information Protection Act; PHIPA)
Human Rights Laws
Negligence
Duty of care (Suicide, Harm to Third Parties)
Reasonable care
Adult Protection Act (16 +)
Canadian Human Rights Act
Children and Family Services Act
Child Pornography Reporting Act
Copyright Act
Civil Procedure Rules Nova Scotia (no psychological data to be used outside of court proceedings)
Protections for Persons in Care Act
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Protection Act
