Empirical and theory-driven investigations of the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists.

This article summarizes empirical and theoretical research focusing on the structure and content of the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists (Canadian Psychological Association [CPA], 1986, 1991, 2000). Functional grammar and content analyses show that, compared to other codes, the CPA code is written in a way that is empowering for the decision-maker. Moreover, it is more likely than other codes of ethics to provide a rationale for ethical behaviour. Preliminary support for the hierarchical organisation of the ethical principles of the CPA code exists but more research is needed to determine if the hierarchy leads to more consistent decision-making in the resolution of ethical dilemmas. Recommendations for future research directions are outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 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)     

Ethical issues and cases in the practice of personnel psychology.

We explore ethical concerns in personnel psychology. We review the relationship of ethics to changes in the dominant views in the philosophy of science, especially the movement from a logical positivist view of ethics to a normative one. We highlight Kantian ethics as the integrating principle relating to five seemingly disparate ethical principles of the American Psychological Association (APA). These five ethical principles are presented in the context of five ethics cases. In addition to the applicability of the APA ethical code, the need for personnel psychologists to be more attentive to their ethical responsibilities as psychologists is discussed, along with the need to raise ethical consciousness among all personnel psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Ethics in psychology: Professional standards and cases.

Reviews the book, Ethics in psychology: Professional standards and cases by Patricia Keith-Spiegel and Gerald P. Koocher (see record 1985-97634-000). This well written and interesting book offers comprehensive coverage of how the American Psychological Association (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists (1981) apply in any setting where psychologists are involved. This book should be of special interest to Canadians who are interested in the new Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Code of Ethics. The CPA Code organized the areas of concern covered by the APA code, plus new and emerging issues, under an umbrella of four general principles and many associated standards of conduct. Both the book and the CPA Code attempt to raise the level of consciousness about ethical issues and ethical decision-making. The result? They complement each other and together provide a useful combination of philosophy, standards, and concrete examples of unethical or questionable behaviour by a psychologist. All who read this book will become aware of the complexity associated with ethics in the practice of psychology. The authors are to be congratulated on providing a scholarly work, long needed by the public and psychologists alike. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Application of the CPA code of ethics in planning field research: An organizational case.

Demonstrates the proactive use of the Canadian Psychological Association's (CPA's) code of ethics in planning field research by delineating the ethical implications of a research example (R. I. Sutton; see record 1989-31541-001) drawn from the organizational psychology literature. Seven steps describe how the CPA code was used to analyze Sutton's ethical dilemma. It is argued that the decision-making processes advocated by the CPA code of ethics is an effective means of identifying issues that would otherwise be neglected. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The new CPA Code of Ethics for Canadian psychologists: An education and training perspective.

Examines the value of the Canadian Psychological Association's (CPA [1986]) Code of Ethics as a tool for instruction in ethics and in ethical decision making. It is suggested that the code's principles of respect for the dignity of persons, responsible caring, integrity in relationships, and responsibility to society provide guidelines for evaluating ethical dilemmas. The code also provides an opportunity to examine hypothetical situations in terms of these principles, allowing psychologists to consider their ethical decision-making processes. The author's (1987) previous experiences in discussing ethical dilemmas developed by the CPA's Ethics Committee in a classroom setting are summarized. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The foundation and application of ethical principles in rehabilitation psychology.

Reviews the basic principles from which ethical thought and decision making in health care evolved in terms of autonomy, justice, beneficence and nonmalfeasance, and care. The interface between American Psychological Association (APA) ethics code and general bioethics principles is presented. A discussion of the applications of these principles to rehabilitation and the unique roles of psychologists in ethical decision making is provided. Training issues and the development of values for which ethics training provides a foundation are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nonsexual posttherapy relationships: A conceptual framework to assess ethical risks.

Psychologists sometimes enter into nonsexual posttherapy relationships with former clients. These relationships may occur for a host of reasons, and psychologists have different views regarding the ethicality of these relationships. The American Psychological Association ethics code provides little specific guidance. This article proposes a collaborative and practical model to assess the ethical risks of nonsexual posttherapy relationships that is grounded in normative ethical principles and is drawn from literature about the therapeutic process and social role theory. The role of virtue ethics is discussed as a basis for developing character traits that help psychologists make difficult ethical decisions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethical dilemmas encountered by members of the American Psychological Association: A national survey.

A random sample of 1,319 members of the American Psychological Association (APA) were asked to describe incidents that they found ethically challenging or troubling. Responses from 679 psychologists described 703 incidents in 23 categories. This process of gathering critical incidents from the general membership, pioneered by those who developed APA's original code of ethics, may be useful in considering possible revisions of the code and preserving APA's unique approach to identifying ethical principles that address realistically the emerging dilemmas that the diverse membership confronts in the day-to-day work of psychology. (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)     

Les psychologues québécois et le Canadian code of ethics.

In 1962 the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Code of Ethics for Psychologists was adopted unanimously by the executive assembly of the Corporation of Psychologists of the Province of Quebec (CPPQ) as the code of ethics. It is noteworthy that the first professional corporations appeared in Quebec in the middle of the XIXth century. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethical pitfalls for managers.

Maintains that psychologists who are American Psychological Association (APA) members and who hold managerial, administrative, or supervisory positions bear responsibility for adhering to APA's ethical principles. These principles bind all of the manager's behavior, not merely those behaviors that can be regarded as psychological in nature. The nature of managerial work is briefly reviewed, and ethical pitfalls encountered by psychologist/managers are analyzed. Examples of psychologist/managers who have violated the APA code are presented, and suggestions for avoiding such problems are offered. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Emerging areas of ethical concern.

Reviews the development of the ethical standards of psychologists (see American Psychological Association 38:2), and considers whether "there is a significant gap between the requirements of practitioners and the guidelines" provided in this code of ethics. 3 questionnaire surveys of the 1969 membership of the American Psychological Association concerning (1) community psychology, (2) psychotherapy, and (3) research with human Ss are examined. Regarding ethics education, it is suggested that ethics be included as part of a more general course in professional problems. (16 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethical Procedures: Comment.

Comments on a note from Dr. Frederick C. Thorne appearing in the March issue of American Psychologist (1956, 11, 152), entitled "Psychologists, Heal Thyselves!" Thorne's note addressed the handling by the American Psychological Association of ethics cases involving individual members. Here, the current author seeks to present the application and enforcement of the ethical code by the Association as a much less moralistic, judgmental, and punitive process than Thorne portrays it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The development of a code of ethics for Canadian psychologists.

Over the past 5 yrs, the Canadian Psychological Association has been in the process of developing a new code of ethics for Canadian psychologists. Reasons for this effort are outlined, and the previously used American Psychological Association code is examined in terms of 4 main purposes of ethics codes: to help establish a group as a profession; to act as a support and guide to individual professionals; to help meet the responsibilities of being a profession; and to provide a statement of moral principle that helps the individual professional resolve ethical dilemmas. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Report of the Ethics Committee, 1993.

The 1993 report of the Ethics Committee of the American Psychological Association (APA) addresses the revision of the APA bylaws related to ethics, the revision of the ethical principles, the Ethics Committee membership, and the ad hoc Policy and Education Committee. Ethics case data are presented, and 5 policy statements issued by the Ethics Committee during 1993 and published in the APA Monitor are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethical issues in psychological evaluation of patients for organ transplant surgery.

Psychological assessment of patients seeking organ transplant surgery presents the potential for ethical conflict. Here confidentiality, informed consent, multiple loyalties, dual relationships, social justice, collaboration with families, responsibilities to donors, honesty, and avoidance of imposition of irrelevant moral values are discussed as they relate to the psychologist's relationship to the patient and to the enterprise of organ transplantation. The case examples of a 33-yr-old man with autoimmune hepatitis and a 55-yr-old woman with alcoholic cirrhosis highlight these issues. Relevant standards from the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and the Code of Conduct of the American Psychological Association are applied, as are principles of biomedical ethics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethics: Code value and application.

Describes reasons for the Canadian Psychological Association's (1986) development of a code of ethics for Canadian psychologists and reports the application of the code by the present author in 4 cases. The need for such a basis in ethical decision-making is emphasized. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When reviews attack: Ethics, free speech, and the peer review process.

The peer review process, whether formally applied in publication and grant review, or informally, such as exchange of ideas in scientific and professional newsgroups, has sparked controversy. Writers in this area agree that scholarly reviews that are inappropriate in tone are not uncommon. Indeed commentators have suggested rules and guidelines that can be used to improve the review process and to make reviewers more accountable. In this paper, the authors examine the relevance and impact of ethical codes on the conduct of peer review. They contend that the peer review process can be improved, not by a new set of rules, but through closer attention to the ethical principles to which psychologists already subscribe. The discussion considers the four principles of the Canadian Psychological Association in relation to peer review and to the six principles presented in the code of the American Psychological Association. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)