Module 1 - Introduction to Ethics and Law

Question 1

What is a positive paradigm/technical rationality?

Answer 1

It is that there is a single tangible reality that exists, one that can be understood, identified and measured. Top-down

Question 2

Why is a bottom-up approach better according to Schon (1983)?

Answer 2

Professional experience, practical and explicit knowledge is better, which is bottom-up

Question 3

What is reflect on action?

Answer 3

Continuous learning also termed technical rationality

Question 4

What is reflection in action?

Answer 4

The ability of the practitioner to think on his feet, within any given moment

Question 5

What is reflection on action?

Answer 5

The practitioner analyses their actions and reactions

Question 6

Talk less, think more and think aloud (Wilkinson)?

Answer 6

How historical, social, cultural and cognitive and personal experiences contribute to professional knowledge. Which challenges habitual thoughts and practices.

Question 7

Morals and Laws are?

Answer 7

Conduct that governs permissible behaviour, which is enforced by society

Question 8

What are 5 ways that ethics, law and morals intersect?

Answer 8

1. Peoples welfare could be affected in ways that are not ethical. i.e in civil law people who are mentally ill can be detained.
2. People may be difficult to work for, particularly in the forensic field. They may have mental conditions or difficult personalities.
3. The internal rules of the organisation may feel unethical or immoral to a psychologist who works in them.
4. Working across a range of occupations and professions a psychologist may feel that socially and ethically they have differences.
5. The law can seem not as professional in regard to ethics in psychology. i.e the treatment of prisoners.

Question 9

Which profession is most at risk from ethical and legal conflicts?
Forensic psychology
General psychology
Sports psychology
Clinical psychology

Answer 9

Forensic psychology

Question 10

What are the speciality guidelines for forensic psychology?

Answer 10

1. Integrity, accuracy, honesty and truthfulness
2. Impartiality and fairness
3. Avoiding conflicts of interest acknowledge possible conflicts of interest
4. Competence - relative training
5. Gaining and maintaining competency - maintain knowledge and skills and new developments
6. Representing competencies - inform all recipients of their knowledge
7. Knowledge of the legal system and the rights of individuals

Question 11

Laws for psychologists come from which sources?
Court decisions,
Federal and State statutes
APA Ethical Principals of Psychologists Licensing boards
All of the above

Answer 11

Court decisions, Federal and State statutes and APA Ethical Principals of Psychologists licensing boards

Question 12

How many Psychologists did Pope and Baljit find broke the law?

Answer 12

57% caused by moral distress

Question 13

What is the regulatory body that governs the registration of Health Professionals and supports the 14 boards?
AHPRA
HODSPA
APAC & APS
All of the above

Answer 13

Australian Health Practioner Agencies (AHPRA)

Question 14

Who governs the 14 boards of health professionals?

Answer 14

National Registration Scheme

Question 15

Who monitors psychologists?

Answer 15

PsyBA - Psychology Board of Australia

Question 16

Who publishes the Code of Ethics?

Answer 16

APS - Australian Psychological Society

Question 17

Who protects the clients?

Answer 17

AHPRA/PsyBA Registration boards

Question 18

What is important about the Code of Ethics as an aspirational document?

Answer 18

It sensitises psychologists

to what is right and wrong and guides them to make choices on such things as cultural values

Question 19

What are two aspects of the Code?

Answer 19

1. Enforceable aspects which are specific rules such as client confidentiality of records
2. Aspirational aspects which are general principles that guide behaviour such as proprietary

Question 20

When doing a Forensic assessment what is important?

Answer 20

Do not rely on one source of data. Focus on what is legally relevant, use appropriate assessment procedures.

Question 21

What does a Code of Practice do?

Answer 21

It is a document that tells Psychologists what their minimum behavioural standards should be

Question 22

What do all codes incorporate (Kant)?

Answer 22

Respect, dignity and the rights of people

Question 23

What 8 principals did Allen identify?

Answer 23

Respect for the rights and dignity of people, autonomy, justice, non-maleficence, beneficence, veracity, fidelity and responsibility

Question 24

A public statement provides what?

Answer 24

A yardstick for the public

Question 25

What is involved in the 3 tiers of the code?

Answer 25

1. abstract and aspirational level, to achieve a high level of success
2. explanation of the aspirational implicates, which encourages higher-order reasoning.
3. code of conduct which provides the minimum behavioural standards

Question 26

The APS Code is structured around which 3 basic principles?

Answer 26

Respect - people, i.e justice, informed consent
Proprietory - Psychologists must ensure they are competent, i.e record keeping
Integrity - reputable behaviour, conflict of interest

Question 27

How many complaints can a Psychologist expect to receive over 30 years?

Answer 27

20 out of every 100 psychologists and 2 will be serious enough to deregister

Question 28

What is positive ethics?

Answer 28

More about tolerance than acceptance. Respecting your lecturer. Having compassion and an understanding and or empathy for other people. How well do you perform under stress?

Question 29

What is the ethical floor approach?

Answer 29

This is regarding a finite list of forbidden acts. The psychologist is starting from the point of prevention. They may not look at general or aspirational principles, because there are no penalties involved.

Question 30

What did Kidder say about ethics?

Answer 30

“rulemaking dressed up as philosophy”

Question 31

Positive Ethics: How can the psycholoigst maximise the implementation of their values?

Answer 31

Approach and benefits system instead of an avoidance and harm-based system

Question 32

What is morality?

Answer 32

It is asymmetrical, which is having parts that fail to correspond, i.e tree branches that grow in different directions

Question 33

What percentage of 30 year plus psychologists encounter complaints?

Answer 33

20%

Question 34

Prudence?

Answer 34

Ability to reason well about moral matters and apply to real-world problems

Question 35

Practical wisdom?

Answer 35

What is at stake, what is possible and what is the best course of action

Question 36

Which agencies are involved in receiving notifications and dealing with complaints about psychologists?

Answer 36

APHRA and PsyBA - Australian Psychology Health Practitioners Regulations Agency and Psychology and the Psychology Board of Australia

Question 37

According to Koocher and Keith-Spiegal (2016), ethical violations are commonly driven by?

Answer 37

Little experience, prejudices and rationalisations (the action of attempting to explain or justify behaviour or an attitude with logical reasons, even if these are not appropriate)

Question 38

Which agency is involved in the training of psychologists?
APS
HODSPA
APAC
All of the above

Answer 38

APS, HODSPA, APAC. Heads of Department and schools of Psychologists Australia and Australian Psychologists Accreditation Council

Question 39

Which agency governs the registrations of psychologists?
AHPRA
APS
HODSPA & APAC
None of the above

Answer 39

APHRA - Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency