Resoliving Ethical Issues
Competence
Human Relations
Privacy and Confidentiality
Ethical or Unethical
100
A psychologist working with a non-English-speaking psychotherapy client asked the client's son to serve as an interpreter during sessions. After being approached by a colleague, the psychologist recognized the potential ethical risks involved in such procedures and agreed to use an independent translator in the future.
What is 1.04 Informal Resolution of Ethical Violations?
100
A psychologist had just returned to independent practice follwoing chemotherapy for a cancer that is now in remission. The psychologist believed that she had recovered from the fatigue and mental stress of the chemotherapy, but recognized that such symptoms may persist. She set up a weekly consultation meeting with a colleague to help monitor her work until she was confident that the symptoms had fully abated.
What is 2.06 Personal Problems and Conflicts?
100
A psychologist in independent practice abruptly terminated therapy with a patient who was an editor at a large publishing company so that the patient could review a book manuscript the psychologist had submitted to the company.
What is 3.05 Multiple Relationships?
100
A woman referred to for a neuropsycholigical evaluation following a head injury was accompanied to the psychologist's office by an individual she defined as her long-time female domestic partner. The psychologist's report mentioned that the client was a lesbian, even though sexual orientation was not a relevant factor in the diagnosis, which is a violation of this standard.
What is 4.04 Minimizing intrusions on privacy?
100
a company asked a psychologist to conduct preemployment evaluations of potential employees. The psychologist informed each applicant evaluated that she was working for the company, that the company would receive the test results, and that the information woul dbe used in hiring decisions.
What is Ethical? (3.07 Third party requests for services)
200
A forensic psychologist learned that an attorney had submitted to the court a tamper version of the psychologist's written report. The psychologist, after consulting with an independent attorney, informed the court of the tampering.
What is 1.01 Misuse of Psychologists' Work?
200
Psychologists with doctoral degrees from programs solely devoted to research would be in violation of this standard if they elected to provide therapy to individuals without obtaining additional education or training in practice fields of psychology.
What is 2.01(a) Boundaries of Competence?
200
A psychologist had financial holdings in a company whose product the psychologist has been asked to professionally endorse.
What is 3.06 Conflict of interest?
200
When files are stored via a common server or backed up on a university system or hub server, discuss and develop security measures with appropriate personnel.
What is 4.01 Maintaining Confidentiality?
200
A court-appointed forensic psychologist conducting a competency evaluation of a prisoner audiotaped the assessment without informing the prisoner or the prisoner's attorney.
What is Unethical? (4.03 Recording)
300
A psychologist, employed by a school district to evaluate and counsel students, was asked by the superintendent to take on an added role as the Title IX officer designated to evaluate and enforce school rules regarding student-student and faculty-student sexual harrassment. The psychologist explained that the dual assignment could compromise his ability to effectively conduct either role.
What is 1.03 Conflicts between Ethics and Organizational demands?
300
Psychologists in academia must take reasonable measures to ensure that research and teaching assistants have the knowledge and skills required to implement valid and ethical research procedures, teach or advise students, or grade exams.
What is 2.05 Delegation of Work to Others?
300
With permission of the parent, a psychologist spoke with a child's teacher to help determine if behaviors suggestive of attention deficit disorder exhibited at home and in the psychologist's office were consistent with the child's classroom behavior.
What is 3.09 Cooperation with other professionals?
300
A psychologist gave a public lecture on dream analysis that included a case example in which the occupation, family constellation, city of residence, and other patient characteristics were disguised. However, a friend of the paitent who was in the audience was able to identify the patient because the patient had told the dream to her friend.
What is 4.07 Use of Confidential information for didactic or other purposes?
300
A client accused a member of a group practice of misrepresenting the fee for psychotherapy. Fearful of additional litigation, the other group members asked the psychologist to leave the practice
What is Unethical? (1.08 Unfair discrimination against complaints and respondents)
400
A client told a psychologist about the sexual misconduct of another psychologist with whom the client had previously been in psychotherapy. Judging that it was clinically appropriate, the psychologist discussed with the client the unethical nature of the previous therapist's behavior and the available reporting options. The psychologist, respecting the client's request to keep the sexual relationship confidential, did not pursue reporting the violation
What is 1.05 Reporting Ethical Violations?
400
The requirements of this standard can be met through indenpendent study, continuing education courses, supervision, consultation, or formal postdoctoral study.
What is 2.03 Maintaining Competence?
400
A company stipulated that the results of a personality inventory conducted as part of an employee application and screeing process would not be available to applicants. Psychologists informed applicants about these restrictions prior to administering the tests.
What is 3.11 Psychological services delivered to or through organizations?
400
Psychologists conducting therapy or assessments via email or through secure chat rooms need to inform clients/patients about the possibility of strangers hacking into secure sites, or when applicable, the extent to which institutional staff has access to secure sites on a hub server.
What is 4.02 Discussing the limits of confidentiality?
400
The graduate faculty of a university used differences in standardized test scores, undergraduate grades, and professionally related experience as a selection criteria for program admission.
What is Ethical? (3.01 Unfair Discrimation)
500
A psychologist who had received a court order for confidential information sent a letter to the judge explaining the relevant confidentiality standards in the Ethics Code and requesting judicial review to determine whether a limited release of information would meet legal requirements.
What is 1.02 Conflicts between Ethics and law, regulations, or other governing legal authority?
500
This standard permits the use of novel approaches, recognizing that new theories, concepts, and techniques are critical to the continued development of the field; however, prohibiting applying idiosyncratic ideas and techniques that are not grounded in either accepted principles of reasearch or practice.
What is 2.04 Bases for scientific and professional judgments?
500
During clinical supervision, a trainee had an emotional discussion with her female supervisor about how her own experience recognizing her lesbian sexual orientation during adolescence were helping her counsel the gay and lesbian youths she was working with. At the end of the session, the supervisor kissed the trainee on the lips.
What is 3.02 Sexual Harassment?
500
Psychologists working with persons with HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases should be aware of relevant partner notification laws.
What is 4.05 Disclosures?
500
A psychologist having sexual relationships with current clients/patients or students.
What is Unethical? (3.09 Exploitative relationships)
M
e
n
u