General Principle A: Respect for the rights and dignity of people and peoples

Question 1

What is General Principle A concerned with?

Answer 1

General Principle A is concerned with Respect for the Rights and Dignity of People and Peoples

Question 2

As well as valuing people intrinsically, what else does General Principle A (Respect) require?

Answer 2

• That psychologists respect peoples rights including the right to autonomy and justice.
• That psychologists engage in conduct which promotes equity and the protection of people’s human rights, legal rights, and moral rights.
• They respect the dignity of all people and peoples.

Question 3

What does the explanatory statement for General Principle A: Respect say about individual’s legal and moral rights?

Answer 3

*Psychologists demonstrate their respect for people by acknowledging their legal & moral rights, their dignity & right to participate in decisions affecting their lives.

Question 4

What does the explanatory statement for General Principle A: Respect say about individual’s privacy & integrity?

Answer 4

*They recognise the importance of people’s
privacy & confidentiality, & physical & personal integrity, & recognise the power they hold over people when practising as psychologists.

Question 5

What does the explanatory statement for General Principle A: Respect say about Diversity?

Answer 5

*They have a high regard for the diversity & uniqueness of people & their right to linguistically and culturally appropriate services.

Question 6

What does the explanatory statement for General Principle A: Respect say about Discrimination?

Answer 6

*Psychologists acknowledge people’s right to be treated fairly without discrimination or favouritism, & they endeavour to ensure that all people have reasonable
and fair access to psychological services & share in the benefits that the practice of psychology can offer.

Question 7

What are the Ethical Standards within General Principle A Respect?

Answer 7

The Ethical Standards within General Principle A comprise:
A.1 Justice
A.2 Respect
A.3 Informed Consent
A.4 Privacy
A.5 Confidentiality
A.6 Release of information to clients
A.7 Collection of client information from associated parties

Question 8

What does the Ethical Standard A.1 Justice within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 8

A.1 Justice
A.1.1. Psychologists avoid discriminating unfairly against people on the basis of age, religion, sexuality, ethnicity, gender, disability, or any other basis proscribed by law.
A.1.2. Psychologists demonstrate an understanding of the consequences for people of unfair discrimination and stereotyping related to their age, religion, sexuality, ethnicity, gender, or disability.
A.1.3. Psychologists assist their clients to address unfair discrimination or prejudice that is directed against the clients.

Question 9

What does the Ethical Standard A.2 Respect, A.2.1 within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 9

A.2 Respect
A.2.1. In the course of their conduct, psychologists:
(a) communicate respect for other people through their actions & language;
(b) do not behave in a manner that, having regard to the context, may reasonably be perceived as coercive or demeaning;
(c) respect the legal rights & moral rights of others; and (d) do not denigrate the character of people by engaging in conduct that demeans them as persons, or defames, or harasses them.

Question 10

What does the Ethical Standard A.2 Respect, A.2.2 within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 10

A.2.2. Psychologists act with due regard for the needs, special competencies & obligations of their colleagues in psychology and other professions.

Question 11

What does the Ethical Standard A.2 Respect, A.2.3 within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 11

A.2.3. When psychologists have cause to disagree with a colleague in psychology or another profession on professional issues they refrain from making intemperate criticism.

Question 12

What does the Ethical Standard A.2 Respect, A.2.4 within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 12

A.2.4. When psychologists in the course of their professional activities are required to review or comment on the qualifications, competencies
or work of a colleague in psychology or another profession, they do this in an objective and respectful manner.

Question 13

What does the Ethical Standard A.2 Respect, A.2.5 within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 13

A.2.5. Psychologists who review grant or research proposals or material submitted for publication, respect the confidentiality & proprietary rights of those who made the submission.

Question 14

What does the Ethical Standard A.3 Informed Consent, A.3.1 within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 14

A.3.1. Psychologists fully inform clients regarding the psychological services they intend to provide, unless an explicit exception has been agreed upon in advance, or it is not reasonably possible to obtain informed consent.

Question 15

What does the Ethical Standard A.3 Informed Consent, A.3.2 within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 15

A.3.2. Psychologists provide information using plain language.

Question 16

What does the Ethical Standard A.3 Informed Consent, A.3.3 within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 16

A.3.3. Psychologists ensure consent is informed by:
(a) explaining the nature & purpose of the procedures they intend using;
(b) clarifying the reasonably foreseeable risks, adverse effects, & possible disadvantages of the procedures they intend using;
(c) explaining how information will be collected & recorded;
(d) explaining how, where, & for how long, information will be stored, & who will have access to the stored information;
(e) advising clients that they may participate, may decline to participate, or may withdraw from methods or procedures proposed to them;
(f) explaining to clients what the reasonably foreseeable
consequences would be if they decline to participate or
withdraw from the proposed procedures;
(g) clarifying the frequency, expected duration, financial & administrative basis of any psychological services that will be provided;
(h) explaining confidentiality & limits to confidentiality (see standard A.5.);
(i) making clear, where necessary, the conditions under which the psychological services may be terminated;
(j) providing any other relevant information.

Question 17

What does the Ethical Standard A.3 Informed Consent, A.3.4 within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 17

A.3.4. Psychologists obtain consent from clients to provide a psychological service unless consent is not required because:

(a) rendering the service without consent is permitted by law; or
(b) a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) or other appropriate ethics committee has waived the requirement in respect of research.

Question 18

What does the Ethical Standard A.3 Informed Consent, A.3.5 within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 18

A.3.5. Psychologists obtain and document informed consent from clients or their legal guardians prior to using psychological procedures that entail physical contact with clients

Question 19

What does the Ethical Standard A.3 Informed Consent, A.3.6 within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 19

A.3.6. Psychologists who work with clients whose capacity to give consent is, or may be, impaired or limited, obtain the consent of people with legal authority to act on behalf of the client, and attempt to obtain the client’s consent as far as practically possible.

Question 20

What does the Ethical Standard A.3 Informed Consent, A.3.7 within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 20

A.3.7. Psychologists who work with clients whose consent is not required by law still comply, as far as practically possible, with the processes described in A.3.1., A.3.2., and A.3.3.

Question 21

What does the Ethical Standard A.4 Privacy within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 21

A.4. Privacy
Psychologists avoid undue invasion of privacy in the collection of information. This includes, but is not limited to:
(a) collecting only information relevant to the service being provided; &
(b) not requiring supervisees or trainees to disclose their personal information, unless self-disclosure is a normal expectation of a given training procedure & informed consent has been obtained from participants prior to training.

Question 22

What does the Ethical Standard A.5. Confidentiality A.5.1. within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 22

A.5.1. Psychologists safeguard the confidentiality of information obtained during their provision of psychological services. Considering their legal & organisational requirements, psychologists:
(a) make provisions for maintaining confidentiality in the
collection, recording, accessing, storage, dissemination, & disposal of information; &
(b) take reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality of
information after they leave a specific work setting, or cease to provide psychological services.

Question 23

What does the Ethical Standard A.5 Confidentiality A.5.2. within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 23

A.5.2. Psychologists disclose confidential information obtained in the
course of their provision of psychological services only under any
one or more of the following circumstances:
(a) with the consent of the relevant client or a person with legal authority to act on behalf of the client;
(b) where there is a legal obligation to do so;
(c) if there is an immediate and specified risk of harm to an identifiable person or persons that can be averted only by disclosing information; or
(d) when consulting colleagues, or in the course of supervision or professional training, provided the psychologist:
(i) conceals the identity of clients and associated parties
involved; or
(ii) obtains the client’s consent, and gives prior notice to the recipients of the information that they are required to preserve the client’s privacy, and obtains an undertaking from the recipients of the information that they will preserve the client’s privacy.

Question 24

What does the Ethical Standard A.5 Confidentiality A.5.3. within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 24

A.5.3. Psychologists inform clients at the outset of the professional relationship, and as regularly thereafter as is reasonably necessary,
of the:
(a) limits to confidentiality; and
(b) foreseeable uses of the information generated in the course of the relationship

Question 25

What does the Ethical Standard A.5 Confidentiality A.5.4. within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 25

A.5.4. When a standard of this Code allows psychologists to disclose information obtained in the course of the provision of psychological services, they disclose only that information which is necessary to achieve the purpose of the disclosure, and then only to people required to have that information.

Question 26

What does the Ethical Standard A.5 Confidentiality A.5.5. within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 26

A.5.5. Psychologists use information collected about a client for a purpose other than the primary purpose of collection only:

(a) with the consent of that client;
(b) if the information is de-identified and used in the course of duly approved research; or
(c) when the use is required or authorised by or under law.

Question 27

What does the Ethical Standard A.6 Release of Information to Clients within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 27

A.6. Release of information to clients
Psychologists, with consideration of legislative exceptions and their organisational requirements, do not refuse any reasonable request from clients, or former clients, to access client information, for
which the psychologists have professional responsibility.

Question 28

What does the Ethical Standard A.7 Collection of client information from associated parties A.7.1. within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 28

A.7.1. Prior to collecting information regarding a client from an associated party, psychologists obtain the consent of the client or, where applicable, a person who is authorised by law to represent the client.

Question 29

What does the Ethical Standard A.7 Collection of client information from associated parties A.7.2. within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 29

A.7.2. Psychologists who work with clients whose capacity to give informed consent is, or may be, impaired or limited, obtain the informed consent of people with legal authority to act on behalf of the client, and attempt to obtain the client’s consent as far as practically possible.

Question 30

What does the Ethical Standard A.7 Collection of client information from associated parties A.7.3. within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 30

A.7.3. Psychologists who work with clients whose informed consent is not required by law nevertheless attempt to comply, as far as practically possible, with the processes described in standards A.7.1., A.7.2., and A.7.4.

Question 31

What does the Ethical Standard A.7 Collection of client information from associated parties A.7.4. within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 31

A.7.4. Psychologists ensure that a client’s consent for obtaining information from an associated party is informed by:
(a) identifying the sources from which they intend collecting information;
(b) explaining the nature and purpose of the information they intend collecting;
(c) stating how the information will be collected;
(d) indicating how, where, and for how long, information will be stored, and who will have access to the stored information;
(e) advising clients that they may decline the request to collect information from an associated party, or withdraw such consent;
(f) explaining to clients what the reasonably foreseeable
consequences would be if they decline to give consent;
(g) explaining the associated party’s right to confidentiality and limits thereof; and
(h) providing any other relevant information.

Question 32

What does the Ethical Standard A.7 Collection of client information from associated parties A.7.5. within General Principle A Respect state?

Answer 32

A.7.5. Prior to collecting information about a client from an associated
party, psychologists obtain the associated party’s consent to collect
information from them by, as appropriate to the circumstances:
(a) providing the associated party with demonstrable evidence that the client had given consent for the collection of such information;
(b) explaining the nature and purpose of the information they intend collecting;
(c) stating how the information will be collected;
(d) indicating how, where, and for how long, information will be stored, and who will have access to the stored information;
(e) advising them that they may withdraw their consent at any time;
(f) explaining to them what the reasonably foreseeable
consequences would be if they withdraw their consent;
(g) explaining the associated party’s right to confidentiality and limits thereof; and
(h) providing any other relevant information.