Module 1 Flashcards
1
Q
What is Schon’s concept of the reflective practitioner?
A
- Reflective practice is the process of consciously analysing decision making and relating it to contextual and theoretical factors
- “Technical Rationality”: charging students with knowledge to simply discharge in practice
- Reflective Inaction: Ability of practitioner to think on their feet. Reflecting on previous experience and current feelings, situation.
- Reflection on Action: After decisions, reflecting on consequences
2
Q
What is the difference between law, morals, and ethics?
A
- Law = minimal standard society can tolerate, enforceable by government
-
Ethics = standards or principles that guide the conduct of a specific set of people
- Maximum or ideal standards set and enforced by professional bodies
-
Morals = general or unwritten sense of right and wrong
- Generally more personal
3
Q
According to Allen, in what 5 ways do ethics and law intersect for psychologists?
A
- Psychologists interact directly and indirectly with the legal system
- Psychologists experience moral and ethical issues because of the situation of their clients
- Psychologists may work for organisations with legal requirements
- Psychologists interact with allied professionals with different ethics standards
- Inevitable participation in ethical debate
4
Q
What are the main regulatory bodies in Psychology?
A
- Australian Psychological Society (APS)
- Heads of Departments and Schools of the Psychology Association (HODSPA)
- Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC)
- Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA).
- AHPRA: Governs 14 health provisions in aus -
5
Q
According to Knapp (2007) what 5 considerations should be made when a conflict arises between ethics and law?
A
- What does the law require?
- Consult and research
- Example 1: law required communcation but not in person
- What are your professional obligations?
- Examine personal values and APA ethics guidelines
- Example 2: Disclose possible threat to other is ambiguous
- How can you reconcile law and ethics?
- Search for ways to meet both requirements
- Example 3: Explain dilemma to judge to be excused as witness
- Which path should you take?
- If law, minimise ethical violation, if ethics, minimise law violation
- Example 4: Seek consultation, alternative paths to meet obligations (report abuse and risk suicidality)
- Can you anticipate and counter possible consquences?
- Emphasise informed consent, nuance,
- Example 5: If parent is kept in the loop earlier, may not be distressed by result reporting
6
Q
According to Knapp 2007, are the most common reasons for ethical violations in psychology?
A
- Self-interest, prejudice, ignorance, or personal distress
- eg. sexual intercourse with patient
- Judgement can be clouded by personal factors
- Seek consultation with an objective party
- Unwise compassion, overidentification, failure to recognise greater ethical consequences
- eg. accidentally being too paternalistic when dealing with disenfranchised group, losing professional distance
7
Q
What are the differences between the APS and AHPRA/PsyBA?
A
- There is overlap; both work together
- PsyBA adopted the Ethics guidelines developed by APS
- APS; Professional body with optional membership
- Source of advice, guidelines to work within the regulations set by PsyBA
- Protects the interests of psychologists
- AHPRA/PsyBA: Regulatory bodies primarily concerned with the lawful training, registration, and practice of psychology.
- Judiciary processes
- Protects the interests of the consumers, clients and patients
8
Q
According to Littlefield (2016) what are the primary problems with the current psyc registration system?
A
- Funding and regulatory challenges over which there is limited control
- Increased demands on unis from high undergraduate enrolment loads
- Undergraduate / post-graduate bottleneck, with many more students applying than places available
- Challenges in obtaining external placements contributing to the need for limits on intake to professional courses
- Government funding of postgrad not covering the real costs to University
- Causes high undergraduate enrolments to subsidise postgrad programs
- A non-sustainable 4+2 pathway
9
Q
According to Littlefield (2016) what advantages are offered by the EuroPsy method of registration?
A
- Decreased duration of higher education (reduced costs)
- One thesis instead of two (decreased research supervision costs)
- Supervised practice placements outside of university (reduced costs and administrative load for Uni’s)
- Opportunity to increase student numbers in higher education pathways, and hence supply of the workforce
- Higher quality of training for generalist psychologists
- Alignment with international standards
- Greater access to pathways to AoPE
- Increased flexibility through bridging programs between AoPEs, and between ‘generalist’ and ‘specialist’ training
- Clearer separation of ‘generalist’ and ‘specialist’ workforces
10
Q
What is the differences between the APS code of ethics and ethics guidelines?
A
- Code of Ethics; Sets specific standards
- Updated every 10 years or so
- APS Guidelines: Compliment or clarify different aspects of the code
- Updated every 5 yrs or so
- 26 different topics and populations (eg LGBT, hypnosis, confidentiality)
11
Q
What are the 3 general principles of the APS code of ethics?
A
-
Respect; Respect the rights, dignity and equity of all peoples
- 7 Code standards: eg Justice, Informed consent, Privacy, Confidentiality,
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Propriety; Ensure competency, non-harm, place interest of client and profession over self
- 14 Code standards incl competence, accepting clients, research, termination of services
-
Integrity; Acknowledge and respect the power and trust of the therapists position
- 7 Code standards incl authorship, conflict of interest, communication
- eg non-exploitation; don’t ask for any expert advise from clients
12
Q
How is the code of ethics enforced?
A
- APS refers all reported violations to AHPRA
- Can be self referral or colleague referral, or client complaint.
- After receiving a notification, AHPRA conducts an assessment. Three options:
- Enough info to take no action:
- Enough info to take action: Caution, impose restrictions, hearings
- Seek more info: investigation, health and performance assessment
13
Q
What are some common ethical transgression?
A
- Comparing 1970-90s to 2000s: Past dominated by false qualifications, irresponsibility. Moved to sexual relationships.
- Grenyer and Lewis (2012) complaints 2003-7:
- Poor communication (35.5%), incompetency (16.5%), report writing (14.1%), business practices (12.5%), boundary violations (9.7%), poor character (5.6%), registration status (3.2%), impairment (1.6%), and inappropriate use of specialist titles (1.2%).
- Males were 2.5 x more likely
- Higher expertise = more complaints but less serious. Maybe due to complex cases
- 20% psychs will receive a complaint, 2% serious.
- Strategies for preventing malpractice:
- Peer consultation, developing standards, maintaining professional boundaries.
14
Q
What techniques can be used to increase ethical behaviour?
A
- Be fair and accurate in your financial dealings.
- Stick only to the evidence in forensic situations.
- In general - document, document, document!
- Clearly identify your client, your role, and your intentions
- Treat clients as you would wish to be treated as a client.
- Understand the difference between termination and abandonment of clients.
- Practice only what you are skilled to practice.
- Engage in regular supervision.
- Constantly update your skills and knowledge.
- Read determinations of Ethics Boards, both locally and beyond the area in which you practice. Subscribe to ethics-focused journals.
- Balance work with self-care.
15
Q
What is virtue based ethics?
A
- Virtue ethics involves the assumption that morality is a characteristic of people not just actions
- What course of action developes moral values?
- What virtues make a good psych?
- Prudence
- Integrity
- Respectfulness
- Trustworthiness
- Compassion
