The Canadian Code: A model for ethical code development.

Discusses the development of the New Zealand Psychological Society's Code of Ethics (1985) and its problems. The author also discusses the influence of the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists on the revision of the New Zealand Code. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Canadian psychologists for social responsibility.

The report in Canadian Psychology from "Canadian Psychologists for Social Responsibility" (P. R. Johnson, October 1984, pp. 336-337; see record 2007-03848-001) requires comment. First, we are amazed at the arrogance of the assumption that one political position is socially responsible, and all others presumably are irresponsible. Aside from that, the annual report of the section in effect says that evidence is unnecessary as long as in our heart we know we're right. Furthermore, the position attacked in the report is a straw man. Who has denied "that people are afraid of a nuclear holocaust"? Rather than attacking a claim that CPSR's critics have not made, its spokesman could try to deal seriously with the response made to another article emanating from this new section (O. Johnson, 1983). If the denigration of the need for objective evidence, and the ignoring of basic distinctions, are characteristic of CPSR's approach, there seems to be no difference between them and any other political group. In that case, the question naturally arises: Why should this political group constitute a section of CPA? (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethical decision-making and the code of ethics of the Canadian Psychological Association.

The Code of Ethics of the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) is based on 4 ethical principles (EPRs), ranked in a hierarchy of importance as follows: Respect for the Dignity of Persons, Responsible Caring, Integrity in Relationships, and Responsibility to Society. The code states that when these EPRs conflict, decisions should usually be based on relative rank order. A study was conducted to see whether 30 preprofessional college psychology students would endorse solutions to ethical dilemmas that were consistent with the ranking of EPRs recommended in the code. In response to a series of vignettes pitting the 4 CPA EPRs against one another, Ss endorsed choices in a statistically significant pattern of decreasing frequency that was consistent with the ranking. There was also considerable variation in responses to vignettes that pitted the same 2 EPRs against each other, indicating that context affects decisions about what is ethical. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A critical history of CPA's various code of ethics for psychologists (1939–1986).

States that codes of ethics are historical products of the professionalization process; the form and content of codes of ethics develop within the specific historical context of the professionalization process of the occupational group for which they are written. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Canadian Psychological Association's (CPA) decisions regarding adoption of a code of ethics were centered on 2 major professionalization needs; namely, to secure a market niche for "psychologists" as this was defined by CPA, and to sustain this image as the basis for continuing funding for related psychological research. Different historical factors resulted in the decision by CPA, in the 1970s, to produce a made-in-Canada code of ethics. These were (a) the need of CPA to produce a document of professional self-regulation that recognized problems faced by psychological practitioners employed within various organizational structures, and (b) organizational problems of the CPA related to disciplinary unity and achievement of a national leadership role. The results of this critical historical analysis confirm the importance of codes of professional ethics as strategies of professionalization as hypothesized by J. Louw in 1990. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Procedures for responding to ethics complaints against psychologists.

Presents the 3rd published summary of complaints handled by the American Psychological Association's Committee on Scientific and Professional Ethics and Conduct (CSPEC). The procedure at issue in each complaint is first noted, the complaint is briefly summarized, and the action taken under CSPEC's Rules and Procedures is described. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teaching psychologists and the new APA ethics code: Do we fit in?

The new American Psychological Association (APA) ethics code (APA, 1992) creates dilemmas of both image and substance for teaching psychologists. Items specific to teaching psychologists reflect housekeeping matters of lesser importance and situations over which teaching psychologists have little control. Teachers of psychology are sometimes inappropriately grouped with other types of psychologists. Freedom of inquiry and communication are curtailed in ambiguous ways, and the standards expected of teachers in the academy are set at a mediocre level. The new code contains some improvements over the previous code (APA, 1990), especially in the areas of multiple relationships, prohibitions against sex with students, respect for differences among students, and authorship rights retained by students. However, numerous recommendations for a future revision are strongly recommended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The code of ethics of the Canadian Psychological Association and the Canadian Medical Association: Ethical orientation and functional grammar analysis.

The Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists has been the subject of several recent investigations. This work has focused, for example, on the validity of its hierarchical organization of ethical principles. In the present research, we subjected the code to both a content and a functional grammar analysis. Our content analysis was aimed at determining the theoretical ethical orientation (deontological, teleological or caring) of each statement in the document, while the functional grammar analysis provided information about implicit messages embedded within the code. We contrasted the results of our analysis with those of previous work on the code of ethics adopted by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). We concluded that, compared to CMA's code, the Canadian Psychological Association's document has greater educational value, is less authoritarian, provides a clear rationale for ethical behavior, and is more empowering to the decision-maker. We argue that the results of our functional grammar and content analyses have implications for future attempts to improve ethics codes for psychology and other professions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Confidentiality: Ethical and legal aspects for Canadian psychologists.

Discusses the ethical and legal aspects of confidentiality for Canadian psychologists, with particular emphasis on clinical psychology. The concepts of confidentiality, privileged communication, and privacy are clarified. The law of privileged communication in Canada is presented. Ethical standards, provincial and federal legislation, and case law bearing on confidentiality in clinical practice are discussed. Issues of mandatory child abuse reporting, the duty to protect, informed consent, and 3rd-party and client access to records are explored. Suggestions are made to the psychologist regarding the management of confidentiality. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Canadian psychologists and the aerodrome of democracy.

Describes the role of Canadian psychologists in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) and suggests possible effects on postwar Canadian psychology. Some of Canada's most prominent psychologists were deeply involved in the field of aircrew selection and training between 1939 and 1945. E. A. Bott (1941), S. N. Chant (1943), and C. R. Myers (1972) all worked on human resource aspects of the BCATP for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Some of their most significant work was the development of selection procedures that culled over 150,000 aircrew candidates of which 131,553 graduated as qualified aviators. By introducing scientific methods (based on the behavioral sciences) to the RCAF, Canadian psychologists had a profound effect on the Commonwealth's aircrew production system. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Publication habits of psychologists in Canadian universities.

A survey of publication habits of psychologists was made. Histograms of publication frequency were prepared for biology, chemistry, history, mathematics, political science, psychology, physics and sociology. Psychologists were most like sociologists both in the mean number of publications per individual and in the form the distribution assumes. Other clusters also appear. Assistant, associate and full professors holding staff appointments in Canadian universities do not appear to differ by rank in frequency of publication. Higher academic ranks do appear to be more varied in their publication habits, however. Psychologists are much less prone to multiple authorship of papers than physicists and this must be taken into account when publication records are evaluated. There has been a general increase in the average frequency of publication since 1961 which has resulted in a doubling of publication frequency and the present national average of 0.9 papers for a staff member per year. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Role of psychologists in Canadian pain centres.

Interviewed 9 Canadian psychologists in pain-treatment settings concerning their professional roles and the training that prepared them for these roles. Ss were young and had been involved in pain centers for a relatively short time, but they represented a wide variety of settings, from hospitals and rehabilitation centers to workers' compensation boards and private practice. Similarly, functions in those settings varied considerably, from psychologists who play a relatively minor, consulting role, to those in charge of administration and treatment in their centers. Across settings, however, there was considerable consensus concerning approaches to assessment and treatment and concerning the appropriate background to prepare psychologists to practice in pain centers. Most Ss recognized that complete elimination of pain is not possible for most people with chronic pain. Therapy can, however, result in improvements in mood, level of physical activity, vocational productivity, and social adjustment, as well as reductions in reported pain, use of medications, and unnecessary visits to physicians. Although the growth of pain-related positions for psychologists is not rapid, there appears to be an increasing number of such jobs available. (French abstract) (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The code of ethics of the French Psychological Society.

"The APA (1963) and the SFP (Société Fran?aise de Psychologie) codes of ethics have several major aspects in common. First, both codes deal in some detail with the issue of professional confidentiality." "Second, both codes recognize the social responsibility which psychologists carry… . Finally both codes recognize that obtaining and evaluating psychological data must involve the utilization of scientific method and that accurate and complete reporting of results is one of the important components of this method." The Code of Ethics of the SFP has 7 major sections titled as follows: Area of Application, Ethics, Professional Confidentiality, Respect of Others, Science, Technical Independence, Professional Independence, The code is stated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Work-life balance for early career Canadian psychologists in professional programs.

The authors examine work-life balance issues that apply to all Canadian academics and then focus on issues faced in the early stages of academic careers in professional psychology programs. In addition, the authors discuss the “family track including” timing of pregnancy. The authors identify psychological tasks such as establishing priorities, setting goals and willingness to 'say no.' In the final section, the authors offer suggestions about ways to gather information that will inform career choices, as well as strategies to help achieve work-life balance. Although the majority of psychology graduate students are women and a great deal of the literature on work-life balance is based on women, many of the issues the authors examine are applicable to both women and men. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teaching ethics: The utility of the CPA code.

Teaching professional ethics can take 2 very different forms, reflecting different fundamental assumptions about ethical rules, and leading to different problem-solving strategies in professional life. In this article, the author outlines and contrasts the 2 approaches, which he calls the overriding principle approach and the moral dilemma approach. The first reifies ethical principles and underpins them with rationales drawn from moral philosophy. The second sees principles as templates of default options, which may or may not fit the facts of the case and the context in which a decision must be made. In the moral dilemma approach, for instance, there is always some circumstance in which following a particular moral rule would produce the wrong result. The Canadian Psychological Association Code of Ethics has different advantages and disadvantages for teaching professional ethics depending on one's fundamental approach. The author concludes that although he believes its rhetoric and its ordering of rules seems to reflect the overriding principle approach, the Code is actually more relevant to the moral dilemma approach. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The value and utility of the 1992 ethics code.

This article describes organizational and conceptual strengths of the current American Psychological Association's ethics code within the context of the diversity of activities in which psychologists are engaged and the constantly changing realities of professional and legal responsibilities. The article places into practical perspective (a) the revised format, choice of wording, and enforceability of the code; (b) protections for students, supervisees, research participants, and diverse groups; (c) requirements for informed consent to psychotherapy, continuity of care, and appropriate termination; (d) restrictions regarding multiple relations; and (e) standards particularly relevant to teaching, research, forensic, and managed care contexts. Discussion aims at assisting psychologists in using the ethical principles and standards to conduct their activities in morally responsible ways and avoid potential ethical violations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Implications of the 1992 ethics code for diverse groups.

Previous renditions of the American Psychological Association's (APA's) code of ethics have clearly espoused psychologists' commitment to the ideal of having respect for the dignity and worth of the individual human being. The endorsement of the goal to protect fundamental human rights has always been highlighted in the Preambles of each revision of the code. The current code (APA, 1992) appears to have retreated from prioritizing this humanitarian stance. Ethnic minorities, women, gay men, and lesbians have reason to be apprehensive about the apparent downgrading in importance of psychologists' declaration of respect for the dignity and worth of the individual. All previous codes seemed to have been formulated from a perspective of protecting consumers. The new code appears to be driven by a need to protect psychologists. This article examines the possible impact of the shift in traditional priorities on diverse populations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Making ethical choices: A comprehensive decision-making model for Canadian psychologists.

This paper proposes a theoretical augmentation of the 7-step decision-making model outlined in the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists. The authors propose that teleological, deontological, and existential ethical perspectives should be taken into account in the decision-making process. The influence of individual, issue-specific, significant-other, situational, and external factors on ethical decision-making is also considered. This theoretical analysis demonstrates the richness and complexity of ethical decisionmaking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How Canadian coordinators of graduate psychiatric education view psychologists.

Investigated the views toward psychologists as expressed by 16 Canadian coordinators of postgraduate education in psychiatry. The majority of Ss opposed psychologists holding senior administrative roles in departments of psychiatry and believed that psychologists should continue to be organized in divisions within departments of psychiatry. Considerable respect was evident for the clinical and academic skills that psychologists possess, and there was nearly unanimous support for psychologists holding academic appointments in departments of psychiatry. Most Ss approved of psychologists conducting psychotherapy as well as supervising psychiatric residents on psychotherapy cases and supported psychologists' involvement in the training of psychiatrists and vice versa. Views about eligibility of psychologists for senior administrative roles in psychiatry departments were related to views on other issues concerning psychologists. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The commerce of professional psychology and the new ethics code.

The 1992 version of the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct brings some changes in requirements and new specificity to the practice of psychology. The impact of the new code on therapeutic contracts, informed consent to psychological services, advertising, financial aspects of psychological practice, and other topics related to the commerce of professional psychology are discussed. The genesis of many new thrusts in the code is reviewed from the perspective of the psychological service provider. Specific recommendations for improved attention to ethical matters in professional practice are made. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introducing ethics to beginning psychologists: A problem-solving approach.

Beginning and practicing psychologists both need more exposure to ethical training experiences. A new Canadian code of ethics provides an opportunity for universities to review their approach to this experience for students in clinical and counseling psychology. In the Canadian code, four basic ethical principles, followed by value statements and standards of behavior, are proposed. This structure provides a useful framework for ethics education. In addition, the problem-solving approach to ethical and moral dilemmas provides a better decision-making process for new psychologists than does simple exposure to professional behavior guidelines. The approach used at the University of Alberta is presented with the recommendation that ethical instruction focus on personal values and the process of informed decision making as well as learning "correct" responses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)