Ethical Practices in Psychology - Essay Example

Student Name] [Instructor’s Name] [Class Name] Ethical Practices in Psychology Introduction The word ethics comes from the Greek word ethikos which means ‘based on habit’. In present terminology, ethics is a branch of philosophy which discusses individual and collective actions as being right, wrong, good or bad. In business and professional fields like finance, construction, public relations, advertising and many others, the application of ethical principles is said to be a part of the good practices which create and increase credibility (Wikipedia, 2006). The world today is very much concerned with ethics since media attention as well as professional organization focus has come to ethics in a very significant way. Ethics and Psychology The field of psychology is not exempt in any from the practice of ethics and there is an entirely different branch of ethics connected with the actions of mental health professionals who have to follow medial and psychological ethics. In fact, psychological researchers also have to follow bioethics concerning how they can perform research on animals and accept the legal guidelines that govern how research can be done on any particular topic (APA, 2002). Despite the strict application of ethics, the field itself is so broad that it often becomes difficult to define it in any particular shape or form (Fisher, 2003). What Ethics is Not Therefore, it is important to know what ethics is not before we can define what it is. Velasquez et. al. (1987) report that when people on the street were inquired about the meaning of ethics, they said that ethics have to do with internal feelings of what is right and wrong or that ethics are religious beliefs or that ethics are legal requirements. People also considered ethics to be acceptable behavior as per the rules of society and some simply did not know what it meant. While the responses stated above may come naturally given the context the word ethics is so often used in, it must be clarified that ethics have nothing to do with the internal feelings of a person (Fisher, 2003). Feelings and emotions about something may lead a person to do what is wrong rather than what is right. Moreover, religion has little to do with ethics because if ethics were based on religion then every person might be free to follow their own set of ethical guidelines (Wikipedia, 2006). Additionally, those who do no believe in any religion might consider themselves to be free of ethical concerns while clearly everyone has to accept the given ethical guidelines for his or her profession as the case may be (Velasquez et. al., 1987). At the same time, laws can not be seen as ethics because legal clauses may include or be based on ethical principles but all laws at all times may not be ethical. Consider the example of the discriminatory laws which were in place before the civil rights movement or the slave ownership laws before the civil war (Wikipedia, 2006). If we take ethics to mean whatever is acceptable to society then it would be ethically acceptable to be anti-Semitic if a person were living in Germany during the Nazi era. Moreover, it is nearly impossible to accurately judge what is acceptable to society since the acceptance level of certain things changes dynamically with time and social influences (Velasquez et. al., 1987). What are Ethics In and of themselves, ethics as they apply to psychologists cover the professionally mandated standards of right and wrong supported by reasonable arguments given by experts in the field that explain how psychologists ought to perform their duties (Fisher, 2003). These mandated standards are the exact ethical values which psychologists are supposed to follow as they perform their duties and render their services to the public. The American Psychological Association (APA) has defined a code of conduct for psychologists which states that: “This Ethics Code is intended to provide specific standards to cover most situations encountered by psychologists. It has as its goals the welfare and protection of the individuals and groups with whom psychologists work and the education of members, students, and the public regarding ethical standards of the discipline (APA, 2002, Pg.1).” Clearly, a psychologist can develop and improve his/her ethics by studying and understanding the rules which are applicable to the profession (Fisher, 2003). Being an ethical professional requires the continual practice of high ethical standards and the ability to recognize ethical problems and their solutions (Velasquez et. al., 1987). An ethical psychologist would therefore be complete familiar and comfortable with various principles and practices of the profession including knowing about the code of conduct, ethical decision making, understanding client welfare, knowing about the principles of confidentiality and getting informed consent (Smith, 2003). Given the amount of emphasis placed on the code of conduct, it seems that the most important aspect of ethical practice for a psychologist is to know and understand the APA code of conduct. The Code Several other professional groups have created a code of conduct for themselves and the APA is no exception (Fisher, 2003). However, their code of conduct is very detailed and comprehensive since psychologists are present in nearly every field of human endeavor (APA, 2002). From working in construction companies as organizational psychologists to volunteering for relief agencies in disaster areas, psychologists have to maintain this code. The areas covered by the code include the clinical practice, counseling methods, teaching systems, supervision of juniors, social intervention and several other activities. In the rare case where the code does not provide sufficient information, it asks psychologists to use their individual judgment and experience. Ethical Decision Making There are five general principles associated with the code of conduct which begin with the duty of every psychologist to work with beneficence and nonmaleficence. This principle asks psychologists to guard against individual, monetary, social or politically geared influences which might compromise their ethics. This leads into the second principle of fidelity and responsibility which minimize and often eliminate the conflicts of interest which a psychologist can have due to their professional and legal responsibilities (APA, 2002). The legal responsibilities lead to the principle of integrity which covers both the legal responsibilities against stealing and committing fraud but also focuses on the situations where deception or withholding information may be ethically required (APA, 2002). Acting ethically and with integrity demands that a psychologist should maximize the benefits associated with his/her actions and try to minimize the negative consequences. Client Welfare This leads to the principle of respecting the rights of people which have been granted to them by the code of ethics or the lawful requirements put into place by the government or other bodies. The ethical rules which are applicable to this principle are mainly concerned with the individual welfare of the client which can guide a psychologist on how to take the proper course of action when ethically difficult situations present themselves (Behnke, 2006). A part of client welfare comes with the ethical rules of confidentiality which must be followed. For example, a psychologist can be asked to provide information about their client to parents, school administrators, financial institutes and employers. In some cases, the information has to be disclosed while in others it must not be disclosed (Behnke, 2005). Ethical concerns in this area are quite important because the public expects that certain information about their problems will never be disclosed to others. However in situations where minors are at risk or where there is a chance of harm coming to others, information might have to be disclosed to the proper authorities. Smith (2003) reports that: “APA's 2002 Ethics Code stipulates that psychologists may only disclose the minimum information necessary to provide needed services, obtain appropriate consultations, protect the client, psychologist or others from harm, or obtain payment for services from a client (Smith, 2003, Pg. 50).” Confidentiality In a case where mandatory reporting laws are applicable, it is more ethical for the psychologist to report the matter rather than wait for the situation to improve. The laws are made for the situations where it is not up to the psychologist to decide if harm is being done rather it is up to the authorities. The concern here is not confidentiality because the problem here is making sure that people are not hurt because of confidentiality (Smith, 2003). On the other hand, where confidentiality concerns do enter into an ethical situation, the confidence of the client has to be maintained until informed consent is obtained from the client for the nature and amount of data which can be shared with others (Smith, 2003). The code allows a psychologist to consult with others regarding a client on the basis of anonymity for the client, but in situations where personal information might be transferred, the approval of the client must be obtained beforehand preferably in writing (Fisher, 2003). Justice The fifth and last principle listed in the APA code of ethics is the principle of justice which asks all psychologists to exercise reasonable judgment in any ethically challenging situation. It also asks them to do justice to their clients, do justice to themselves and their profession (APA, 2002). It comes across as an overriding principle since it is a very broad idea which covers nearly every aspect of ethical decision making and ethical actions. Discussing the idea of justice as well as what it means to be an ethical psychologist, Behnke (2006) said that: “There is no single, definitive way of thinking about what it means to be an ethical psychologist. To say that an ethical psychologist does more than abide by our rules and standards by no means diminishes the importance of rules and standards, which are the bedrock that protects those with whom we work, and us, from harm. Thinking through what "more" characterizes an ethical psychologist, over and above obeying rules of conduct, is a fruitful exercise for all who are part of a profession that touches so many lives in such a profound manner (Behnke, 2006, Pg. 114).” Conclusion I feel that the comments given above are a very accurate representation of the ethical practices in psychology since a lot of the ethical decisions have to be made by people who are mere mortals and can make mistakes in judgment. We can expect psychologists to be the most knowledgeable and intelligent individuals when it comes to ethical decision making, but it must not be forgotten that they can make mistakes especially when it comes to making ethical decision calls which are never easy. Overall, the code of ethics given by the APA is an excellent tool which lets psychologists understand what they should do in a given situation. It is certainly extensive and often exhaustive on many topics which can help psychologists appreciate the value of ethics as they apply to their profession. Ethics and the applicable codes for psychologists have to be seen as more than mere requirements that keep them safe from civil liability lawsuits. In fact, they have to be seen as the guidelines which will make all psychologists better at their jobs and improve them as professionals in the field. Works Cited APA. (2002). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Retrieved August 28, 2006 from APA.org website: http://www.apa.org/ethics/code2002.html Smith, D. (2003). 10 ways practitioners can avoid frequent ethical pitfalls. Monitor on Psychology, 34(1), 50-51. Behnke, S. (2005). On being an ethical psychologist. Monitor on Psychology, 36(7), 114-115. Behnke, S. (2006). Reflections on being an ethical clinician. Monitor on Psychology, 37(4), 114-115. Fisher, C. (2003). Decoding the Ethics Code: A Practical Guide for Psychologists. Sage Publications. Wikipedia. (2006). Ethics. Retrieved August 26, 2006 from Wikipedia.org website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics Velasquez, M. et. al. (1987). What is Ethics? Retrieved August 28, 2006 from SCU.edu website: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/whatisethics.html Word Count: 1,957 Read More