ETHICAL ISSUES IN PSYCHOLOGY

Resources

• Attributes and Evaluation of Discussion Contributions.
• Professional Communications and Writing Guide.
• Graduate Psychology Discussion Rubric.
• Ethics Case Studies by Specialization [PDF].

Ethics is a central concept to any career in psychology. As you noticed in the case studies, ethical issues are sometimes unclear, and solutions to ethical dilemmas are often difficult to determine. As a professional in psychology, it is important to know how to identify an ethical issue, think through possible solutions, and find the resources necessary to guide your choices.

As you probably observed from the unit studies, you will not be conducting actual research for this course, but instead gathering information from a professional in psychology. In this discussion, share your insights about ethical principles in psychology.

For this discussion, respond to the following questions:

• What do you see as the ethical issue or issues involved in the case study you reviewed? Cite the relevant elements within the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct to support your analysis.
• What steps would you take to attempt to resolve the issue?
• How can you apply the principles from the readings from Becoming an Ethical Helping Professional coursepack to the case study you chose?
• How does this issue as well as the other standards in the APA code relate to your future career in psychology?
• What is the difference between conducting research in the field of psychology and the informational interview you will conduct for this course?
• What ethical principles are most applicable to your professional interview?
• What will you do to ensure you adhere to ethical principles while conducting your interview?

If you have any trouble understanding ethical principles for information gathering or locating a person to interview, use this discussion to receive support from your peers and instructor to work through your challenges.