Professional Issues and Practices Week 1: Introduction Flashcards
explain some history of the APA ethics code
-Founded in 1892
-Produced in 1953 (first code)
-Based on the day to day decisions made by psychologists the practice of their professions, not a prescribed committee
what were the initial 6 categories generated by the APA ethics code
-Ethical standards and public responsibility
-Ethical standards and relationships
-Ethical standards in teaching
-Research
-Writing and publishing
-Professional relationships
what are 5 categories of concern with the code still
Confidentiality
-Still behind in technology
Blurred, dual or conflictual relationships
Payment sources, plans, setting and methods
Academic settings, teaching dilemmas, training
Forensic settings
explain the conflict over state vs. state rules and how it can be good vs. not good
Helps with continuity of care
E.g. different rules and codes among states
-If emergencies happen across state lines, if you do not know where they are or what is around them, how do you know the laws
-If you are practicing across state lines you should know the laws and codes of the state-
what are the five moral foundations
1) Care
-Humans are motivated to care for others and avoid actions that would cause harm or suffering
-We know that we all suffer so much intellectually, but some people have a hard time with this and try to prevent suffering/fix
2) Fairness
-Humans value reciprocity and cooperation in their relationships (The Golden Rule)
3) Loyalty
-Humans are loyal to groups with which they associate and will sacrifice their own interest
-E.g. could lead to someone killing for someone else
4) Authority
-Humans respect and abide by the wishes of higher status individuals
-E.g. common in older generations
5) Sanctity
-Humans value purity, cleanliness, and chastity in their behavior
-E.g. often with religion and religious values-
why are the five moral foundations important
We do not typically make decisions with our sound judgment, we use emotions
what are the different kinds of philosophical systems
virtue ethics, deontological (duty based) ethics, utilitarianism, principle based ethics
what are virtue ethics
Professionals have the right mix of motives, knowledge and power
-integrity, respectfulness
what are deontological or duty based ethics
Primary goal when making decisions is for individuals to fulfill their duties
what is utilitarianism
Moral value is determined by consequences that are involved, lowering consequences
what is principle based ethics
-Probably what we will lean more into in this class, obligations hold unless overwritten by a superior obligation
-Lessen the impact
what are the six conditions of principle based ethics
1) Good reason can be offered to act on the overriding norm than on the infringed norm
-One principle is overriding the other, lessen the consequence
-First basic concern is to do no harm, you will eventually get to the better answer
2) The moral objective justifying the infringement has a realistic prospect of achievement
-Thinking ten steps ahead, how likely is it that this will happen
3) No morally preferable alternative actions are available
-Nothing else you could have done
4) The lowest level of infringement commensurate with achieving the primary goal of the action, has been selected
-Least amount of harm as possible
5) Any negative effects of the infringement have been minimized
6) All affected parties have been treated impartially
what is professional development
developmental process of acquiring, expanding, refining and sustaining knowledge, proficiency, skill, and qualifications for competent professional functioning that result in professionalism
what are the two major aspects of professional development
1) Internal tasks
-Clarifying professional objectives; crystallizing professional identity increasing self awareness and confidence; and sharpening reasoning, thinking, rejecting, and judgment
2) Social/contextual dimensions
-Enhance interpersonal aspects of professional functioning
-Broadening professional autonomy
-As you get further along, you should be behaving with more autonomy
what are the four components of professional development and professionalism
individual variation, contextual factors, interpersonal functioning, and thinking like a psychologist
explain individual variation
-Variability in how individuals develop
-Some are taught, modeled, or facilitated
explain contextual factors
Importance of the training and work environments
explain interpersonal functioning
-Colleagues, clients, administration, others
-Social intelligence
-Ability to understand others and to behave wisely and appropriately in relation to them
Psychological mindedness
-Facilitates insight into oneself and others
explain thinking like a psychologist
-Critical thinking and logical analysis
-Being conversant with and utilizing scientific inquiry and professional literature
-Being able to conceptualize problems and issues from multiple perspectives
-Being able to access, understand, integrate, and use resources
what are the best rules to keep in mind when studying ethics
do no harm and consult
what is the purpose of an ethics code
-To protect the public (main goal)
-Establishing the integrity of a profession
-Education and professional socialization
-Public trust
-Enforcement value
explain the three main parts of the APA ethics code
1) Aspirational principles
-The ceiling, we strive for this
-Answer to a higher authority
-Statements and broadly worded ideals and principles
-Doesn’t attempt to define with precision right or wrong behaviors
2) Enforceable standards
-The things that we should attempt to do; the code does not necessarily say do this vs. not do this, but it talks about all of the things you need to think about
-Describes behaviors required and proscribed
3) Guidelines
-Set of standards working with different groups by the profession
-Bases for remediation
why separate general principles from enforceable standards
-The general principles impact core moral values reflecting the highest ideals of the profession
-The 151 standards are cast in behaviorally specific language and can therefore be enforced by the APA ethics committee and other organizations that adopt the code
what are the general standards in the code
-Resolving ethical issues
-Competence
-Human relations
-Privacy and confidentiality
-Advertising and other public statements
-Record keeping and fees
what are the specialized activities sections
-Education and training
-Research and publication
-Assessment and therapy
explain the applicability of the ethics code (who and what)
Who?
-APA members and student affiliates
-Adopted by many psychology programs and integrated into state laws, rules, and regulations governing the licensed practice of psychology
What?
-All activities, all persons, all settings, and all communication contexts that are conducted, encountered, or used in one’s role as a psychologist
it is important to note that you are a mandated reported in all aspects of your life, not just psychology work
whom do we answer to
-Our patients and clients
-The public
-Our professional community (including APA)
-Professional code of ethics
-APA (national- ethics committee)
-State specific code of ethics (local)
what are the three levels of obligation we have to fulfill
1) Legal
-Mandated reporting, HIPAA
2) Ethical
-Terminating a client early
3) Moral
-Thinking about the moral obligations of the profession overall, acculturation, if our morals are not in line with the profession you could run into difficulty
-E.g. client values collectivism but you value autonomy
There will be times when these conflict
what are the four key components to ethical decision making
1) Ethical sensitivity (you need to know that a situation is bad)
-I think this is a potentially harmful situation
-I feel concern about possible harm
2) Ethical reasoning
-The ability to weigh alternative responses to ethical issues
-Must be informed by comprehensive knowledge of standards including laws, ethics codes, practice guidelines, scientific literature, and moral sensibility
3) Motivation to act ethically
-Will you choose to actually do what you have reasoned is the “best” alternative
4) Ethical resoluteness
-Willingness to see the ethical action through to its conclusion
-Requires integrity character and perseverance
-Often requires courage as well
-May well have to do something that is uncomfortable or scary and risks negative repercussions of some kind
explain professional vs. personal
-Displacing personal values with narrow interpretations of specific ethical standards can lead to thoughtless or unethical response in the context of the complex moral issues encountered by psychologists
-Psychologists should aspire to appropriately balance personal and professional values
what does the task of becoming a psychologist involved according to the ethics acculturation model
understanding new professional values and integrating them with pre-existing moral values derived from one’s own ethical heritage
what is the ethics acculturation model
Intersection between personal and professional morality ethics
explain what psychological acculturation is and the two major dimensions
Set of internal psychological outcomes including a clear sense of personal and cultural identity, good mental health, and the achievement of personal satisfaction in the new cultural context
Two major dimensions
-Contact and participation with new dominant culture
-Maintenance of one’s culture of origin
explain ethics acculturation for psychologists (what it is and when it happens)
-Ability of psychologist to integrate their own values and behaviors into the ethical culture of psychology
-Psychology has a set of normative principles and behaviors related to ethical behavior and professional conduct
-Occurs when there is an adaptation into an organization or society
what are the four sections of the acculturation model of ethical development
integration: high on professional ethics, high on personal ethics
separation: low on professional ethics, and high on personal ethics
assimilation: high on professional ethics, low on personal ethics
marginalized: low on professional ethics, low on personal ethics
explain marginalization
going by the seed of your pants, not making sound decisions
explain assimilation
someone who acts as a robot, does not have authenticity, going by the book strictly, overly legalistic, rigid, only care about what the code says and how do I legally do what I need to do, lack of humanistic side
explain separation
not really considering the professional laws at all, how do I make the bad feeling better, let me give the client some money instead of helping them find resources, bleeding hearts
explain integration
where you want to be, you can see the professional ethics and you have your own high morals as well; this takes work
