The American Psychological Association’s (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct - Article

Why is the Ethics Code drafted? 

The American Psychological Association’s (APA’s) formed the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (Ethics Code). The Preamble and General Principles are not enforceable rules. The Ethical Standards are enforceable rules. The Ethical Standards are not exhaustive and are written broadly to apply for varied roles. This Ethics Code applies only to psychologists’ activities that are part of their scientific, educational, or professional roles as psychologists. It covers areas like clinical, counseling, school practice etc and applies to a veriety of context, such as in person, postal, by telephone etc. The private conduct of psychologists are not in the purview of the Code. Lack of awareness or misunderstanding of an Ethical Standard is not itself a defense to a charge of unethical conduct and APA may give sanctions when a psychologist doesn't work by the Code. When the sanction to be imposed by APA is less than expulsion, the 2001 Rules and Procedures do not guarantee an opportunity for an in-person hearing, but generally provide that complaints will be resolved only on the basis of a submitted record.

Why is the Ethics Code drafted? 

The American Psychological Association’s (APA’s) formed the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (Ethics Code). The Preamble and General Principles are not enforceable rules. The Ethical Standards are enforceable rules. The Ethical Standards are not exhaustive and are written broadly to apply for varied roles. This Ethics Code applies only to psychologists’ activities that are part of their scientific, educational, or professional roles as psychologists. It covers areas like clinical, counseling, school practice etc and applies to a veriety of context, such as in person, postal, by telephone etc. The private conduct of psychologists are not in the purview of the Code. Lack of awareness or misunderstanding of an Ethical Standard is not itself a defense to a charge of unethical conduct and APA may give sanctions when a psychologist doesn't work by the Code. When the sanction to be imposed by APA is less than expulsion, the 2001 Rules and Procedures do not guarantee an opportunity for an in-person hearing, but generally provide that complaints will be resolved only on the basis of a submitted record.

The Ethics Code is intended to provide guidance for psychologists and violating the Ethics Code does not by itself make someone liable for court action or legal consequences. In some Ethics Codes modifiers like reasonably are used, which means it allows professional judgment, it should eliminate injustice or inequality, it ensures applicability across a broad range of actiities and it prevents the Code from becoming rigid rules that can become outdated. 

Reasonable is the prevailing professional judgment of psychologists in similar activities and similar circumstances, given the knowledge the psychologist had or should have had at the time. 

Psychologists try to increase scientific and professional knowledge of people's behavior, to improve the condition of individuals, organizations and society. They respect and protect rights, strive to help development of informed judgments and choices. Therefore psychologists are researchers, educators, diagnosticians, therapists, supervisors, etc. This Ethics Code provides a common set of principles and standards upon which psychologists build their professional and scientific work, to welfare and protect the individuals with whom psychologists work. 

What general principles do we have to live by?

General principles are aspirational in nature. Their intent is to guide and inspire psychologists toward the very highest ethical ideals of the profession. They do not represent obligations and should not form the basis for imposing sanctions. There are five main principles: 

• Beneficence and nonmaleficence. Psychologists try to help and take care of the people they work with. They try to protect the rights of everyone they work with. Psychologists try to solve conflicts in a responsible way, with the least amount of damage. They are alert to personal, financial, social, organisatoric and political factors. Psychologists strive to be aware of the possible effect of their own physical and mental health on their ability to help those with whom they work.

• Fidelity and responsibility. Psychologists establish trustworthy work relationships with whom they work. They are aware of their responsibilities, they cooperate with other professionals to serve the best interest of whom they work with. 

• Integrity. Psychologists try to be accurate, honest and truthfull. They strive to keep promises and avoid unwise commitments and they have the obligation to consider to correct any result of mistrust. 

• Justice: Psychologists recognize that everyone is entitled to fairness and justice. They contribute to equal quality in the process, procedures and services. They exercise reasonable judgement and take precautions against biases and the limitations of their expertise. 

• Respect for rights and dignifity. Psychologists respect the dignity and worth of all people, and the rights of individuals to privacy, confidentiality, and self-determination. They respect differences and put in necessary safeguards to protect the rights ot persons who are vulnerable. 

What are the ethical standards? 

Here we define a few main examples of the ethical standards.

Resolving Ethical Issues

• Psychologists take reasonable steps to correct or minimize the misuse or misrepresentation.

• If psychologists’ ethical responsibilities conflict with law, they clarify the nature of the conflict, make known their commitment to the Ethics Code, and take reasonable steps to resolve the conflict. This standard may never be used to justify violating human rights.

• If the demands of an organization with which psychologists works, is in conflict with this Ethics Code, psychologists clarify the nature of the conflict, make known their commitment to the Ethics Code, and take reasonable steps to resolve the conflict. Again this may never be used to justify violating human rights. 

• Informal Resolution of Ethical Violations. When a psychologists believes that another violates the ethical code, they bring it to the attention to that individual and  if possible they try to informally resolve the issue appropriatly. 

• Reporting Ethical Violations. If an apparent ethical violation has substantially harmed or is likely to substantially harm a person and the violation is not appropriate for informal resolution or is not resolved properly psychologists take further action, like referral to the state, licensing boards. This standard doesn't apply when an intervention itself would violate rights. 

• Cooperating With Ethics Committees. Psychologists cooperate in ethics investigations, proceedings, and resulting requirements of the APA or any affiliated state psychological association to which they belong. Failure to cooperate is itself an ethics violation. 

• Improper Complaints. Psychologists do not file ethics complaints that are made reckless or with willful ignorance of facts that would disprove the allegation.

• Unfair Discrimination Against Complainants and Respondents. Psychologists do not deny persons employment, advancement, based solely upon their having made or their being the subject of an ethics complaint. 

Competence

• Psychologists provide services, teach, and conduct research in areas only within their competence. If the scientific or professional knowledge establishes that understanding of certain factors, like age or gender is essential for effective implementation of research, psychologists have to obtain training, experience or consulation to ensure the competence or they must make a referral. When planning to provide a new service, they must take relevant training. When a specific service is asked, one no one is trained for, the psychologists with closely related prior training may provide such service, to ensure the service will not be denied. This psychologist must take effort to obtain the required competence. When assuming forensic roles, a psychologist must be familiar with judical rules. 

• Providing services in emergencies. Psychologists may provide services necessary, when they haven't had the necessary training, only until the emergency has ended or the appropriate services are available. 

• Maintaining Competence by developing. 

• Base the work on Scientific and Professional Judgments. 

• Delegation of work to others. When delegating work to employees or supervisees, a psychologist must avoid a loss of objectivity by a multiple relationship, they must authorize only those responsibilities they are competent to have. 

• Personal Problems and conflicts. When a psychologist can guess that a personal problem will prevent him from performing, he will refrain from the activity. When a psychologist becomes aware of a personal problem, they take appropriate measures. 

Human Relations

• Psychologists do not engage in unfair discrimination

• Psychologists do not engage in sexual harassment.

• Psychologists do not knowingly engage in harassing behavior or behavior that is demeaning to persons with whom they interact in their work

• Psychologists take reasonable steps to avoid harming their clients and to minimize harm when the harm is forseeable and unavoidable. 

• A psychologist avoids being in multiple relationships. A multiple relationship occurs when a psychologist is both in a professional relation and in another role with the same person or when he becomes closely associated to the person or when he promises to enter into another relationship in the future. When a multiple relationship is not expected to cause a risk, is not unethical. If it does become harmful, the psychologist must take steps to resolve it. When a psychologist is required by law to serve in one or more roles, he needs to clarify the role expectations and the extent of confidentiality. 

• Conflict of Interest. Psychologists prevent to take a professional role when personal, scientific, legal or other interest could be expected to impair the objectivity or competence or when the role will expose the person to harm or exploitation. 

• Exploitative Relationships. Psychologists do not exploit persons over whom they have supervisory, evaluative, or other authority

• Cooperation With Other Professionals. When needed, psychologists cooperate with other professionals to serve their client effectively. 

• Informed Consent. When psychologists conducts research  they obtain the informed consent of the individual, using language that is reasonably understandable.

Privacy and confidentiality

• Maintaining Confidentiality. Psychologists take reasonable precautions to protect information. The extent and limits of confidentiality may be regulated by law

• Discussing the Limits of Confidentiality. 

• Recording. Before recording individuals, psychologists have to ged permission from their client or legal representative.

• Minimizing Intrusions on Privacy. Psychologists include in reports and consultations, only information needed to the purpose for which the communication is made. They discuss confidential information only with people concerned with such matter. 

• Consultations. When consulting with colleagues, psychologists do not disclose confidential information that reasonably could lead to the identification of a client. They disclose only necessary information

• Use of Confidential Information for Didactic or Other Purposes. Psychologists do not disclose in their writings, lectures, or other public media, unless they take reasonable steps to disguise the person or organization or the person has consented or there is legal authorization for doing so.

Assessment

• Bases for Assessments. Psychologists base the opinions contained in their recommendations, reports, and diagnostic or evaluative statements, including forensic testimony, on information and techniques sufficient to substantiate their findings.

• Use of Assessments. Psychologists administer, adapt, score, interpret, or use assessment techniques for purposes that are appropriate in light of the research on or evidence of the usefulness and proper application of the techniques.They use assessment instruments whose validity and reliability have been established and that are appropriate to an individual’s language preference and competence, unless the use of an alternative language is relevant to the assessment issues.

• Release of Test Data. Psychologists provide test data to the client/ patient or other persons identified in the release. They may refrain from releasing test data to protect a clientfrom substantial harm or misuse or misrepresentation of the data or the test,

• Interpreting Assessment Results. When interpreting assessment results, psychologists take into account the purpose of the assessment as well as the various test factors

• Assessment by Unqualified Persons. Psychologists do not promote the use of psychological assessment techniques by unqualified persons.

• Test Scoring and Interpretation Services. Psychologists who offer assessment or scoring services to other professionals accurately describe the purpose, norms, validity, reliability, and applications of the procedures and any special qualifications applicable to their use. 

Therapy 

• Informed Consent to Therapy: A psychologist must inform the client as early as possible about the nature of the therapy, the fees, involvement, limits etc. When the treatment is not generally recognized, the client must be informed about the risks, alternatives and voluntary nature of the participation. When a therapist is a trainee and under supervision, he must inform the client that the therapist is in training and must be given the name of the supervisor. 

• Therapy Involving Couples or Families. When several persons participate in a therapy, a psychologists must clarify which clients participate and what the relationship is with the psychologist. When the psychologist gets conflicting roles, he must clarify and modify the therapy of he must withdraw frome a role. 

• Group Therapy. When a psychologist provides service in a group setting, they must describe the roles and responsibilities of all parties and the limits of confidentiality.

• Providing Therapy to Those Served by Others. A psychology must careful consider treatment issues when he also provides from services elsewhere. A psychologist must discuss issues with the client, to minimize the risk of confusion and conflict. 

• Sexual Intimacies With Current Therapy Clients and relatives. Psychologists do not engage in sexual intimacies with current clients, their relatives or significant others. Psychologists do not terminate therapy to circumvent this standard.

• Therapy With Former Sexual Partners. Psychologists do not accept as therapy clients persons with whom they have engaged in sexual intimacies.

• Sexual Intimacies With Former Therapy Clients. Psychologists do not engage in sexual intimacies with former clients for at least two years and not after that exept for unusual circumstances. If they do, they must demonstrate that there has been no exploitation in light of all relevant factors. 

• Interruption of Therapy. When starting a therapy, psychologists make reasonable efforts for appropriate resolution of responsibility for client care when the contractual relationship ends. They must give consideration to the welfare of the client.

• Terminating Therapy. Psychologists terminate therapy when the client no longer needs the service, when he doesn't benefit or when continuing the treatment harms the client. Treatment can also be terminated when the psychologists is threatened or endangered. When terminating the therapy, the psychologist must provide pretermination counseling and suggest alternative service providers as appropriate.