Module 2 - Ethical Decision Making Models

Question 1

What are the five questions of May’s model?

Answer 1

1. What is going on in the case?
2. By what criteria should decisions be made?
3. Who should decide?
4. For whose benefit does the professional act?
5. How should the professional decide and act?

Question 2

Who influenced Rest’s model?

Answer 2

Kohlberg

Question 3

What is the first level of Rest’s model?

Answer 3

Preconvetional (up to the age of 9)

Question 4

What is the second level of Rest’s model?

Answer 4

Conventional (Most adolescents and adults)

Question 5

What is the third level of Rest’s model?

Answer 5

Postconventional

Question 6

What percentage of people are classified as “postconventional” according to Rest

Answer 6

10-15% of over 20s

Question 7

What are the 3 dimensions of Gottlieb’s model?

Answer 7

1. Power
2. Duration of the relationship (assumes power increases over time)
3. Clarity of termination - likelihood that the client and psychologist will have further professional contact

Question 8

What are the stages of the ReFLECT model?

Answer 8

Re: Recognise the potential issue
F: Find relevant information
L: Linger at the 'Fork in the Road'
E: Evaluate your options
C: Come to a decision, and record your actions
T: Take time to reflect and review

Question 9

What are the 8 stages of Koocher and Keith-Speigel’s model

Answer 9

1. Is the dilemma an ethical one?
2. Consult the relevant codes, guidelines and laws
3. Identify factors/traps
4. Consult with experienced colleagues
5. Evaluate the rights/vulnerabilities of all parties
6. Generate a range of possible actions
7. Determine the probably consequences of each action
8. Decide and act accordingly

Question 10

What are the common ethical traps

Answer 10

Common sense/objectivity trap
Values trap
Circumstantiality trap
Who will benefit trap

Question 11

What is the common sense/objectivity trap?

Answer 11

Belief that commonsense, objective solutions to professional ethical dilemmas are easy to come by

Question 12

What is the values trap?

Answer 12

Personal values (morals, religion) in conflict with requirements specified by professional code

Question 13

What is the circumstantiality trap?

Answer 13

Belief that what is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ behaviour depends on the circumstance

Question 14

What is the who will benefit trap?

Answer 14

The resolution of the ethical dilemma often means taking sides among two or more conflicting interests

Question 15

What is the role of affect in ethical decision making

Answer 15

As a catalyst and a bi-product that enables a holistic and intuitive decision

Question 16

Who said that “emotions and values, practitioners may rediscover a reservoir of motivation, which might galvanize them to address ethical dilemmas more proactively “

Answer 16

Crowley and Gottlieb

Question 17

What is teleology

Answer 17

The moral philosophy that what is right or wrong is determined by the consequences

Question 18

What is rule consequentialism?

Answer 18

rules are derived based on the likely consequences of particular categories of actions, rather than individual actions

Question 19

What is act consequentialism?

Answer 19

the agent determines the consequences of each act prior to acting

Question 20

What is deontology

Answer 20

The moral philosophy that what is right or wrong is determined by duty/principle

Question 21

What is phronesis

Answer 21

Practical wisdom - the ability to adapt our decision-making to the specific circumstances before us

Question 22

What is Eudaimonia

Answer 22

Happiness. Developing virtues is a precondition for human happiness

Question 23

What is the main take-away from the Hadjistavropoulos reading?

Answer 23

Ethical orientation differs as a function of professional. Psychologists tend to be less relativistic than physicians and more influenced by code of ethics over family values, religious background and peer attitudes.

Question 24

What is situationalism?

Answer 24

high idealism and high relativism

Question 25

What is absolutism?

Answer 25

high idealism and low relativism

Question 26

What is subjectivism

Answer 26

low idealism and high relativism

Question 27

What is exceptionism?

Answer 27

low idealism and low relativism

Question 28

According to Sullivan (2002) what common behaviours are ethical?

Answer 28

Addressing client by first name
Having a client address you by first name
Shaking hands

Question 29

According to Sullivan (2002) what behaviours are unethical?

Answer 29

Erotic/sexual activity with client
Borrowing money from client
Discussing client by name with friends/student
Signing for hours a supervisee has not earned
Doing therapy while drunk

Question 30

What behaviours did Morrissey and Reddy consider as unquestionably ethical in additon to Sullivan & Pope

Answer 30

Breaking confidence to report child abuse, if client is suicide or if client is homicidal

Question 31

What behaviours did Morrissey and Reddy consider as unquestionably unethical in additon to Sullivan & Pope

Answer 31

Providing services outside areas of competence & Kissing a client (91.3 - 64.5 and 90.1 - 76)

Question 32

What six components make up the moral intensity of an issue?

Answer 32

Magnitude of consequence – sum of harm/benefits to people
Social consensus – degree of social agreement that the act is good/bad
Probability of effect – joint function that the act will occur and produce the predicted outcome
Temporal immediacy – time between the act and its effect occurring
Proximity – level of nearness to the person/people affected
Concentration of effect – inverse function of the number of people affected by an act of a given magnitude

Question 33

When will people assume little responsibility for an issue?

Answer 33

The consequences involve someone psychologically or physically distant
The consequences are likely to occur in the distant future
It is unlikely that the negative consequences will occur

Question 34

What is the five step philosophical approach to ethical decision making?

Answer 34

1. What benefits and what harms will each course of action produce, and which course of action best overall consequences? - Utility
2. Which moral rights do the affected parties have, and which course of action best respects those rights? - Rights
3. Which course of action treats everyone the same, except where there is a morally justifiable reason not to, and does not show favoritism or discrimination? - Fairness
4. Which course of action advances the common good?
5. Which course of action develops moral virtues?

Question 35

What are the most predominant schemas amongst mental health professionals?

Answer 35

unrelenting standards, self-sacrifice, and entitlement

Question 36

What are the three styles of perfectionism?

Answer 36

1. Self-oriented perfectionism refers to the tendency for an individual to set and seek high self-standards of performance (e.g., “I should be perfect in everything I do”).
2. Other-oriented perfectionism refers to the tendency for an individual to expect that others should or would be perfect in their performance (e.g., “If I ask someone to do something, I expect it to be done flawlessly”).
3. Socially prescribed perfectionism refers to the tendency for an individual to believe that others expect perfection from him or her (e.g., “The people around me expect me to succeed at everything I do”).