Resolving Ethical Issues Flashcards
What do psychologists do if they find out their work is being misused or misrepresented?
Standard 1.0 Misuse of Psychologists’ Work:
states that psychologists take “reasonable steps to correct or minimize the misuse or misrepresentation of their work.” Typically, psychologist will contact the involved party and request a corrective measure be taken and then document the action he/she took to correct such misuse or misrepresentation.
How do psychologist resolve a conflict between ethical responsibilities and law, regulations, or other legal authority?
Standard 1.02 Conflicts Between Ethics, and Law, Regulations, or Other Governing Legal Authority:
Psychologists make known their commitment to the Ethics Code and take reasonable steps to resolve the conflict consistent with the General Principles and Ethical Standards of the Ethic Code.
-Under no circumstances may this standard be used to justify or defend violating human rights.
How do psychologists resolve conflict between Ethics Code and the demands of an organization with which psychologists are affiliated or for whom are working?
Standard 1.03 Conflicts Between Ethics and Organizational Demands
Psychologists clarify the nature of the conflict, make known their commitment to the Ethics Code, and take reasonable steps to resolve the conflict consistent with the General Principles and Ethical Standards of the Ethic Code.
-Under no circumstances may this standard be used to justify or defend violating human rights.
When there is an ethical violation by another Psychologist how do you resolve this matter?
Standard 1.04 Informal Resolution of Ethical Violations
An attempt to resolve issue by bringing it to the attention of that individual, if an INFORMAL resolution appears appropriate and the intervention does not violate CONFIDENTIALITY rights that may be involved.
If there is an apparent ethical violation that has substantially harmed or is likely to harm a person or organization and is not appropriate to be resolved informally, how does a psychologist proceed?
Standard 1.05 Reporting Ethical Violations
Psychologists may take action with the state or national committees on professional ethics, to state licensing boards, or to the appropriate institutional authorities.
-This standard does not apply when an intervention would violate confidentiality rights or when psychologists have been retained to review the work of another psychologist whose professional conduct is in question.
What are some examples of Standard 1.05 that APA (2002) identify as behaviors that constitute as “substantial harm”?
Standard 1.05 requires a psychologist to file a FORMAL complaint when a violation involves substantial harm, It does not specify what constitutes “substantial harm.”
-Examples APA(2002) Rules and Procedures: identify sexual misconduct, insurance fraud, and plagiarism
Before the need to educate or punish an offending psychologist, what is needed to be considered first?
Standards 1.04 & 1.05 require psychologists to consider client Confidentiality before they take any action, informal or formal action, the action is prohibited.
Ex: If a client tells her current therapist that a former therapist borrowed a large sum of money from her and hasn’t paid her back and that he came to several sessions drunk, the current therapist could not contact the former therapist or file a report against him without the client’s consent. (Also, in this situation, the better initial course of action might be to determine if the client wants to file a complaint herself).
Does a psychologist need to cooperate with the Ethics Committee and can a request for deferment be made in writing and is it considered to be as noncooperation?
Standard 1.06 Cooperating with Ethics Committees
Psychologists are required to cooperate with APA’s investigations, proceedings, and resulting requirements or of any affiliated state psychological association of ethical complaints and Standard 1.06 establishes that failure to do so is itself an ethical violation. However, making a request for deferment of adjudication of an ethics complaint pending the outcome of litigation does not alone constitute noncooperation.
When asked to respond to an Ethics Committee or licensing board inquiry or complaint what are the consequences if do not respond?
Charges of Failure to respond are considered ethical violations by Ethics Committee or licensing board.
However, any response has to consider client confidentiality.
Ex: Psychologist was charged with failing to supervise adequately and was charged with failure to respond.
If Ethics Committee or licensing board made an inquiry about a former client who has filed a complaint against a current therapist and is asking for information how should a psychologist proceed?
A psychologist would want to confirm that the client signed a release before releasing information.
What is Standard 1.07 Improper Complaints?
Psychologists do not file or encourage the filing of ethics complaints that are made with reckless disregard for or willful ignorance of facts that would disprove the allegation.
Can a psychologist involved in a case where they have a current ethical complaint against them or they have submitted an ethical complaint be denied a job, promotion, or tenure?
Standard 1.08 Unfair Discrimination Against Complainants and Respondents
Psychologists do not deny persons employment, advancement, admissions to academic or other programs, tenure, or promotion, because they are complainants or respondents in an unresolved complaint.
*Note:This prohibition only applies to parties in a pending case and does not prohibit psychologists from making decisions about hiring, promotion, tenure,etc. based on outcome of a complaint.
