Professional ethics in rural and northern Canadian psychology.

Although the literature in rural, northern, and remote (R&N) psychology and professional ethics for this setting is limited, it is clear that this area of psychological practice presents a specific context which must be considered for ethical decision-making. Existing literature suggests that overlapping relationships, community pressure, generalist practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional development concerns are aspects of R&N practice that may be more prevalent. When they are, they pose risks by complicating professional practice and the resolution of related ethical issues. This article highlights the ways that demographic and practice characteristics may instigate ethical issues in R&N professional practice. We briefly review these considerations in relation to the literature, professional ethics, the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists (Code), and case examples from our own practices. More specifically, we discuss how the Code provides guidance in applying the ethical principles to decision-making in R&N communities. Further, we suggest practical applications for ethical decision-making acumen inherent in the Code. (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)     

Special issue on the Canadian code of ethics for psychologists.

This Special Issue contains the commentary and evaluations of more than a dozen authors on the merits of Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists. The papers examine the Code from a range of perspectives: history of psychology; philosophy of science; teaching; practice; regulation; law; and, applications beyond psychology. Perspectives of the international community of psychologists also are included. The usefulness to the public interest of placing ethical standards within a clearly defined ethical framework is affirmed by many of the authors. In addition, the articles conclude that the organization of the Code around ethical principles and the inclusion of steps for ethical decision making are invaluable in teaching and practice, especially for new or ambiguous areas. The ethical principles and decision-making steps are found to be as applicable to research as to service organizations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

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)     

Canadian Psychological Association: Minutes of the Annual Business Meeting.

Minutes of the Annual Business Meeting are provided. The meeting was held on June 8, 1973. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anorexia nervosa in adolescents: Responding using the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists.

The adolescent with disordered eating symptoms, who may still be a minor, presents a special case with respect to diagnosis and treatment. The symptoms and severity of anorexia nervosa (AN) are such that involuntary treatment might be required to preserve life. Although the peer-reviewed literature generally accepts that AN is a serious biologically based disorder (Klump, Bulik, Kaye, Treasure, & Tyson, 2009), there is a proanorexia argument that eating disorders are a lifestyle choice (Fox, Ward, & O'Rourke, 2005; Overbeke, 2008). The ethical decision-making process outlined in the Companion Manual to the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists (Sinclair & Pettifor, 2001) is useful for a psychologist to substantiate lower thresholds for involuntary treatment for adolescents with AN. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Canadian Psychological Association: Minutes of the Annual General Meeting.

Presents the minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association held June 4, 1981 in Toronto, Ontario. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

International contributions of the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists: Voices from abroad.

In this article, eight psychologists from different parts of the world (Argentina, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Turkey, and the United States) comment on the international significance of the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists. The most common themes expressed about the Canadian Code were the value of the foundational moral framework, the value-based ethical decision-making model, the positive aspirational focus, and the conceptual clarity. The Code that was developed nationally for Canadian psychologists 25 years ago is now acclaimed internationally. In a troubled and globalizing world, the need for strong worldwide humanizing ethical principles has never been greater. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social pressures and the values of psychologists.

Speaking in connection with the APA Code of Ethics, the author discusses the social roles of psychologists and the social pressures associated with such roles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The evolution of research ethics in Canada: Current developments.

A decade ago the three major granting agencies produced a policy statement that governs research ethics in most venues in Canada; they have recently (2010) circulated a revised statement: The Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans. 2nd Edition (TCPS-2). There are both major and minor revisions, including changes to the guiding principles, that will have an impact on psychological research. This paper outlines some of the changes and compares them with the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists (3rd Ed.), which is also about to undergo a revision process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Canadian Psychological Association: Minutes of the Annual Business Meeting: Toronto, Ontario, 6 June, 1969.

Minutes of the Annual Business Meeting are provided. The meeting was held on June 6, 1969. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

2010 Amendments to the 2002 Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct.

The following amendments to the 2002 “Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct” (the Ethics Code; American Psychological Association, 2002) were adopted by the APA Council of Representatives at its February 2010 meeting. The changes involve the last two sentences of the final paragraph of the Introduction and Applicability section and Ethical Standards 1.02 and 1.03. The amendments became effective June 1, 2010. A history of these amendments to the Ethics Code is provided in the “Report of the Ethics Committee, 2009” in this issue of the American Psychologist (American Psychological Association, Ethics Committee, 2010). Following are a clean version of the revisions and a version indicating changes from the 2002 language (inserted text is underlined; deleted text is crossed out). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Canadian Psychological Association: Minutes of the Annual Business Meeting: Winnipeg, Manitoba, May 29, 1970.

Presents the minutes of the Canadian Psychological Association Annual Business Meeting in Winnipeg, Manitoba, May 29, 1970. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology for the public: A content analysis of Psychology Today..

Surveyed the extent to which Psychology Today (PT) has maintained an empirical basis for its articles and the degree to which psychologists and individuals with doctorates have been responsible for PT articles. Two samples of PT were selected for review by 2 raters (the present authors). Findings indicate that not only have PT articles significantly shifted away from a presentation of empirically based data, but the proportion of articles authored by psychologists, as well as the educational level of authors, has declined, particularly in the last 3 yrs. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rules and procedures: Ethics Committee of the American Psychological Association.

This article provides the rules and the procedures adopted by the American Psychological Association's Ethics Committee. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The application of the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists to teaching: Mandatory self-disclosure and alternatives in psychology courses.

In recent decades, we have made significant progress in the area of the ethical conduct of research. However, it appears that parallel progress with respect to our ethical responsibilities in the teaching arena has not kept pace with that made in the research area. The focus of this article is on the use of self-disclosure as a mandatory component of psychology courses. Issues such as competence, perceived coercion, confidentiality, conflict of interest, and others are addressed. Our Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists is examined with a view to arriving at decisions on these issues that will be beneficial to most students and not endanger some other students. Viable alternatives to mandatory self-disclosure are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

An updated account of the ethical and legal considerations of record keeping.

The Canadian literature is void of contemporary guidelines for clinical record keeping for psychologists, as the most recent article was published more than two decades ago (Eberlein, 1990). However, the techniques used in record keeping have greatly advanced, specifically with regard to the role of computers and the use of electronic documents. Furthermore, new legislation and guidelines have been developed in response to these technological advancements. The purpose of this article is to provide a concise, accessible, and up-to-date set of guidelines on record keeping in psychology. The professional and legal requirements of psychologists are discussed with regard to the use, content, access, ownership, and retention of records with special consideration given to electronic documents. Recommendations are made for Canadian psychologists that are consistent with the current legal and professional standards of the field. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Officers, Boards, Committees, and Representatives of the American Psychological Association: 1983.

List of APA officers and members of the boards, committees, and representatives of the American Psychological Association. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

New technology, old issues: Demonstrating the relevance of the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists to the ever-sharper cutting edge of technology.

New technology brings with it new opportunities for the practice of our profession. However, this technology is also a double-edged sword in that it can also cause problems for our profession and those we serve. The Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists (3rd edition) provides a foundation for approaching the issues that can arise in its use. It is argued that psychologists need not wait for specific rules and guidelines regarding the ethical use of new technologies; rather, psychologists can utilize the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists immediately to address many of the issues involved. There is a wide range of areas in which ethical issues can arise. The focus in this paper is on three specific examples (online personal information accessibility, web-based advertising, and electronic data storage). These examples illustrate both the ethical issues involved and demonstrate the potential for how the Code can be used to think through and manage or resolve the issues. After a discussion of the three examples, the ongoing relevance of the Code to meeting the ethical challenges of continuously evolving technologies is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The power of negative thinking: Truth, melancholia, and the tragic sense of life.

In this brief essay the author argues that the contemporary "positive psychology" movement fails to emphasize important aspects of human existence that are essential to human excellence. Through an explication of some historical, cross-cultural, and literary examples, the author argues for the importance of a kind of "negative psychology" that is fundamental to an adequate comprehension of the human situation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)