Honours Seminar in Psychology

1
Honours Seminar in Psychology

• Lecture 5 Introduction to Ethics

2
The Honours Student Who Ate Rat Food

• A 21 year-old honours student is doing his
  thesiss on the feeding behavior of rats
• The research paradigm shows that rats get their
  diet preferences from other rats
• His Supervisor wonders whether rats would eat the
  same food as people
• He asks his honours student to eat
  cocoa-flavoured rat food and breath on rats
• Because this is an odd request, the supervisor
  offers to buy the student a case of beer, which
  turns out to be a 6-pack
• Are there any ethical violations in this case?

3
CPA Code Four levels of decision-making

• Principle I Respect for the Dignity of Persons.
• Emphasis on moral rights, except in circumstances
  in which there is a clear and imminent danger to
  the physical safety of any person.
• Principle II Responsible Caring.
• Responsible caring requires competence
• Principle III Integrity in Relationships.
• Openness and straightforwardness are important
• Principle IV Responsibility to Society.
• This principle generally should be given the
  lowest weight of the four principles when it
  conflicts with one or more of them.
• Law vs. Ethics

4
Ethical decision-making

• Who is affected?
• Identification of ethically relevant issues and
  practices
• Personal biases, stresses, or self-interest must
  be considered
• Development of alternative courses of action.
• Analysis of likely short-term, ongoing, and
  long-term risks
• Choice of course of action
• Action, and assume responsibility for the
  consequences of the action.
• Evaluation of the results of the course of
  action.
• Correct negative consequences
• Prevent future occurrences of the dilemma
• Empirical, rational, testable, falsifiable,
  parsimonious

5
Means to address complaints

• Use of the code to address dilemma
• Was there negligence and willfulness?
• Explanation of action, awareness of issues
• Way of directing professional behaviour
• Ultimately ethics is designed to protect
  individuals as well as the public good

6

• To adhere to the Associations Code in all
  current activities as a psychologist.
• To apply the Code to new and emerging areas of
  activity.
• To assess and discuss ethical issues and
  practices with colleagues
• To bring to the attention of the Association
  ethical issues that require clarification or the
  development of new guidelines or standards.
• To bring concerns about possible unethical
  actions by a psychologist directly to the
  psychologist when the action is primarily a lack
  of sensitivity, knowledge, or experience, and
  attempt to resolve
• To bring concerns about possible unethical
  actions of a more serious nature (e.g., actions
  that have caused or could cause serious harm, or
  actions that are considered misconduct in the
  jurisdiction) to the person(s) or body(ies) best
  suited to investigating the situation and to
  stopping or offsetting the harm.
• To consider seriously others concerns about
  ones own possibly unethical actions

7
What do you think are new areas of ethical issues
for psychologists

• In mental health practice?
• In the research field?
• As a society?