Difference between proximal and distal right coronary flow velocity pattern in humans

The choice of moral acts is governed by the unique ethnic and/or cultural meaning and values ascribed to by the individual. In pursuing an "acceptable" moral choice, the process of analysis is further directed by the ethical theories which are molded by time and tempered by the current context to which the action is undertaken. An OPTIMIN MODEL OF ETHICAL-DECISION MAKING PARADIGM is proposed, and health care policy on cultural diversity is adduced.     

Behavior control and social responsibility.

"It is in the field of psychotherapy that the issues of the moral and ethical implications of behavior control first arose as a relevant problem." We "cannot avoid facing the issue of values." Psychology should "develop techniques of approaching experimentally the basic problem of social and ethical issues involved in behavior control." In connection with this, the psychologist-researcher "should undertake the task of contact with the public rather than leaving it to sensationalists and popularizers." Behavior control "represents a relatively new, important, and very useful development in psychological research." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Avoiding the road to ethical disaster: Overcoming vulnerabilities and developing resilience.

Psychotherapists may, despite their best intentions, find themselves engaging in ethically problematic behaviors that could have been prevented. Drawing on recent research in moral psychology and longstanding community mental health approaches to prevention, we suggest that psychotherapists can reduce the likelihood of committing ethical infractions (and move in the direction of ethical excellence) by attending carefully to 4 general dimensions: the desire to facilitate positive (good) outcomes, the powerful opportunities given to professionals to effect change, personal values, and education. Each dimension can foster enhanced ethical behavior and personal resilience, but each can also contribute to ethical vulnerability. By recognizing and effectively addressing these dimensions, psychotherapists can reduce their vulnerabilities, enhance their resilience, reduce the risk of ethical infractions, and improve the quality of their work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Where lies social responsibility?

L. Krasner's article, "Behavior Control and Social Responsibility" (see record 1963-00116-001) bypassed several points of view which might clarify some of the issues discussed, and at the same time tone down what seems to be an exaggerated claim for urgency in dealing with problems of social responsibility. In the matter of considering moral and ethical issues, it is important to proceed with calmness and careful consideration rather than to become overly excited about finding the "right" solution. Even the "psychologist-researcher" is human and when he turns his hand to such things as communicating to the lay public he may fall into the pattern of the "sensationalists and popularizers," though obviously not so crudely. First among three basic questions and answers presented by Krasner is that concerning whether or not human behavior is controllable. His answer is to the effect that there is overwhelming experimental evidence that human behavior is controllable. Such a statement seems exaggerated in the face of other evidence from both experimental and clinical impressions. Krasner states that there is a "subtle but important" difference between the "psychology of behavior control" and the science of psychology. There are several objections to some of Krasner's implications that the behavioral scientist is not or at least is less bound by an ethical and moral system. There seem to be no logical grounds for distinguishing in principle between an ethics for behavioral scientists and an ethics for behavior controllers. The atomic scientists produced a bomb as scientists employed by their government while at war. They did their job effectively. As informed private citizens they held some moral reservations as to the consequences of their scientific endeavors. The behavioral scientist and the behavior controller can also perform their professional tasks dispassionately and efficiently, but as people they might well look to the ethical and moral issues involved. They can choose to take appropriate ethical and moral action as private citizens who have the advantages of specialized knowledge. The behavioral scientist and the behavior controller are not to be compartmentalized into a patchwork of separate roles, rather they are to see themselves as integrated individuals functioning in various ways which on occasion may bring about a conflict in ethical and moral values. Then they should be enabled to resolve the conflicts for themselves on a rational basis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Navigating the nuances: A matrix of considerations for ethical-legal dilemmas.

At one time or another, we all have encountered cases with serious ethical and legal implications. How can we know that we have thoroughly explored every facet of these dilemmas? The authors present a 7-category matrix of the following considerations: moral principles and personal values, clinical and cultural considerations, ethics codes, agency or employer policies, statutes, rules and regulations, and case law. Two clinical examples illustrate the usefulness of this multidimensional framework for professional psychologists. Implications and applications for practitioners and ethics educators are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Detecting sequential patterns and determining their reliability with fallible observers.

On the basis of recent work by W. Gardner (1995), implications of fallible observers for observational research are discussed. Analysis shows that for identically fallible observers, values for kappa are lower when codes are few and their simple probabilities variable than when codes are many and roughly equiprobable; thus no one value of kappa can be regarded as universally acceptable. Additional analysis shows that fallible measurement degrades indices of sequential pattern more when codes are few and their simple probabilities variable. Finally, a simulation study establishes likely values for intraclass correlation reliabilities for sequential indices generated by various circumstances and suggests principled ways to select both lengths of sequences and acceptable levels of kappa for observational studies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

And Esau was an hairy man.

Attention is focussed on "certain aspects of the professional behavior of industrial psychologists… . It is within the realm of possibility for legitimate PhDs in the profession of psychology to exhibit various shades of professional behavior under various levels of motivation. Both inside and outside the profession of psychology, alarms have arisen about the potential misuse of behavioral sciences in the control of human behavior." Attributes of professional and nonprofessional occupations are distinguished. What can be done to preserve our present status as professionals and also insure true professional behavior on the part of industrial psychologists? Realistic ethical codes will only guide the way. "Industrial psychology cannot operate under the rules of the open market. Either we develop acceptable rules of professional service to society or society will define the conditions of psychological practice by legal restrictions. The choice is up to us as to who will shape the future of industrial psychology. Smooth men or hairy ones." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measurement of moral values: A review and critique.

A historical review of the literature on efforts to assess strength of moral values led to the conclusion that existing instruments have weaknesses which limit their utility for psychological research. The most important of these weaknesses are: (1) questionable assumptions about the relationship of moral values and moral behavior, (2) a focus on moral abstractions rather than moral behavior in realistic contexts, (3) reliance on subjective and inferential scoring procedures which stress "correct" moral values, and (4) inadequate standardization. It is concluded that moral values are best conceptualized as subjective and individual attitudes whose measurement is most meaningfully achieved independent of a concern with moral behavior and conventional standards of moral evaluation. (2 p. ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychotherapy or massage parlor technology? Comments on the Zeiss, Rosen, and Zeiss treatment procedure.

Argues that there are numerous ethical, moral, philosophical, and social psychological issues involved in modern sex therapy. Psychologists have accorded sex therapy a warm reception into the field, but present ethical guidelines are insufficient to protect clients from psychological damage in the form of massive intrusions on privacy and reoriented moral and religious values. Further, the more explicit procedures seem to carry a message to society that "anything goes." The procedure employed by A. M. Zeiss et al (see record 1978-01520-001) is used as a reference point for discussing these issues. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The internal morality of medicine: explication and application to managed care

Some ethical issues facing contemporary medicine cannot be fully understood without addressing medicine's internal morality. Medicine as a profession is characterized by certain moral goals and morally acceptable means for achieving those goals. The list of appropriate goals and means allows some medical actions to be classified as clear violations of the internal morality, and others as borderline or controversial cases. Replies are available for common objections, including the superfluity of internal morality for ethical analysis, the argument that internal morality is merely an apology for medicine's traditional power and authority, and the claim that there is no single, "core" internal morality. The value of addressing the internal morality of medicine may be illustrated by a detailed investigation of ethical issues posed by managed care. Managed care poses some fundamental challenges for medicine's internal morality, but also calls for thoughtful reflection and reconsideration of some traditionally held moral views on patient fidelity in particular.     

Ethical Maturity and Successful Leadership

Ethical maturity is the ability not only to judge right from wrong, but to make the right choice when issues in conflict require the individual to weight competing values when making sociotechnical decisions. While a universal metric for describing ethical maturity does not exist, scales of professional moral development based on the work of Kohlberg are useful for analyzing subordinates' ethical maturity. To be professionally successful, leaders must themselves be ethically mature, and they must seek to increase their subordinates' ethical maturity. Mentoring on ethical issues is discussed, including specific programs that leaders can use to achieve moral maturity within their company.     

Reconciling the self and morality: An empirical model of moral centrality development.

Self-interest and moral sensibilities generally compete with one another, but for moral exemplars, this tension appears to not be in play. This study advances the reconciliation model, which explains this anomaly within a developmental framework by positing that the relationship between the self’s interests and moral concerns ideally transforms from one of mutual competition to one of synergy. The degree to which morality is central to an individual’s identity—or moral centrality—was operationalized in terms of values advanced implicitly in self-understanding narratives; a measure was developed and then validated. Participants were 97 university students who responded to a self-understanding interview and to several measures of morally relevant behaviors. Results indicated that communal values (centered on concerns for others) positively predicted and agentic (self-interested) values negatively predicted moral behavior. At the same time, the tendency to coordinate both agentic and communal values within narrative thought segments positively predicted moral behavior, indicating that the 2 motives can be adaptively reconciled. Moral centrality holds considerable promise in explaining moral motivation and its development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Values, assumptions, and practices: Assessing the moral implications of psychological discourse and action.

Despite an increased awareness concerning the role of values in psychology, psychologists lack clear guidelines to appraise the moral implications of their work. To address this discrepancy, the author proposes a framework for examining the moral dimensions of psychological discourse and practice. The framework contains 3 central elements: values, assumptions, and practices. These components may be used to articulate and to challenge the ethical, social, and political implications of theories and practices. To illustrate its applicability, the framework is used to evaluate the moral propositions of traditional, empowering, postmodern, and emancipatory communitarian approaches. The author concludes with a vision for addressing the shortcomings of predominant models by proposing for psychology an emancipatory communitarian approach that promotes the emancipation of vulnerable individuals and that fosters a balance among the values of self-determination, caring and compassion, collaboration and democratic participation, human diversity, and distributive justice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Did Hamlet need a Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists?.

Attempts to demonstrate the creativity inherent in the principles and ethical decision-making process in a Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists (CCEP). Shakespeare's Hamlet from The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is presented to illustrate how the new CCEP guidelines for ethical decision making can help resolve moral dilemmas more constructively. The resolution of dilemmas faced by professional women and psychologists are also addressed. The CCEP facilitates creative problem solving by (1) explicitly stating 4 ethical principles around which all other values and standards are organized; (2) recognizing that when there is conflict, reaching the most ethical decision may be difficult; and (3) outlining the basic steps that typify approaches to ethical decision making. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rights of clients, responsibilities of therapists.

Discusses ways in which ethical principles can be put into practice in the client–therapist relationship. Historically, ethical codes for therapists were drawn up to protect the professions from regulation by external agencies. Implicit in the ethical codes, however, is a model for the client–therapist relationship that fosters the goals of mental health. It is suggested that just as ethical codes have been given specific content in standards for providers of psychological services in human service facilities, ethical codes can be given specific content in the client–therapist relationship. It is recommended that therapists take responsibility for incorporating ethical standards into their practices so that clients' rights will be an integral part of therapy. Four illustrative situations are presented: providing clients with information to make informed decisions about therapy, using contracts in therapy, responding to clients' challenges to therapists' competence, and handling clients' complaints. (63 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bad apples in bad barrels: A causal analysis of ethical decision-making behavior.

This study proposed and tested a multiple-influences causal model of ethical decision-making behavior. Social learning, stage of cognitive moral development (CMD), and locus of control (LC) were hypothesized to influence ethical decision making. The mediating influence of outcome expectancies was also hypothesized. Social learning conditions (vicarious reward, vicarious punishment, and control) were manipulated with an in-basket exercise. Path analysis revealed that ethical decision making was influenced directly by CMD. LC influenced ethical decision making directly and indirectly through outcome expectancies. Vicarious reward influenced ethical decision making indirectly through outcome expectancies. No support was found for the direct effects of vicarious reward or punishment. Future research directions and theoretical and practical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A phenomenologic study of the interface of caring and technology in intermediate care: toward a reflexive ethics for clinical practice

A phenomenologic research study of nurse caring was conducted in an intermediate care unit of a hospital. Three narratives from the data are presented as examples to illuminate the meaning of the experience of caring for technologically dependent patients. Results revealed that vulnerability, suffering, and the ethical situations of moral blurring and moral blindness were the dynamics of caring for these patients. Identification of these phenomena cells for a new reflexive ethics in health care to increase understanding of how deep values in relation to the status of vulnerable human beings, and how moral interactions among patients, families, and caregivers, shape ethical decisions.     

Beyond ethical decision making.

The concepts of mandatory vs aspirational ethics, principle vs virtue ethics, and moral responsibleness illustrate the differences between externally and internally based moral and ethical behavior The complex nature of consulting relationships provides an especially rich context for such an examination. Two models are delineated: The 1st reflects a focus on mandatory or principle ethics, and the 2nd focuses on aspirational or virtue ethics. Finally, several questions are posed regarding the role that moral considerations should play in consultation. (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)     

Using the Barthel index in care homes

This group dealt with the role of codes through developing a draft of a code that could be used as a framework of common values in an "Alliance of Dental Organizations." Such an alliance might be an umbrella organization of all groups interested in promoting oral health care by advancing ethical discussion. A set of potential core values, based on traditional ethical principles, is presented.