Ethics Flashcards
A psychologist has not updated their Weschler test and is using version three while conducting an intellectual assessments. A colleague becomes aware of this and subsequently discusses the issue directly with the psychologist involved, stating that this is not appropriate or ethical. What is the general ethical principle underlying their concern?
A. Respect for the rights and dignity of people and peoples.
B. Propriety.
C. Integrity.
D. Recency of Practice.
E. None of the above.
B. is the most appropriate response. The issue falls under the ethical principle of propriety; B.13.4. of the APS Code of Ethics states psychologists use valid procedures and research findings when they score an interpret psychological assessments. The WAIS-IV has been updated with new research findings and the WAIS-III is now potentially invalid.
You want to work with a client from an Indigenous client group for the first time. You should:
A. Refer to another therapist.
B. Read books about how to work with Indigenous Australians, while you were working with the Indigenous client.
C. Seek appropriate supervision before taking on an Indigenous client and continue supervision over the course of treatment.
D. Rely on your basic skills as a therapist and everything will work out.
E. Talk to an Indigenous community member about the client to gain a greater understanding of the client’s needs.
C. is the most appropriate response. the general principle of propriety notes that psychologists need to work with in the level of competence and when beginning work in a new area it is best to seek close supervision to ensure clients receive quality services.
You are providing psychotherapy to a 15-year-old female client who discloses in session that she had recent sexual contact with her father. She begs you not to tell anyone because she believes it will make things worse. Her parents contact you asking how treatment is progressing because they think their daughter is getting worse. The best action is to:
A. Discuss the concerns with your client and explain your need to report the abuse to the appropriate agency.
B. Follow your states procedure for mandatory reporting of sexual abuse.
C. Discuss your concerns with your client and explain you need to tell her parents and report the abuse to the child abuse report line.
D. Notify her parents as your client is a minor and her parents need to know.
E. Maintain client confidentiality by not reporting or telling her parents, as she requested.
A. is the most appropriate response. Psychologists must report child abuse and not cause any further harm to the client; However, as the client is 15, it would be best to discuss this with her if possible and if it is not likely to lead the client to be in danger. Under these conditions breaking confidentiality is required by law and would involve reporting to the appropriate agency as the disclosure needs to be investigated accordingly. The psychologist could explore the clients concerns about a report being made and possibly involve her in the process.
You are conducting a group therapy session with young people. Which best describes the ethical obligations involving confidentiality in Group settings?
A. At the outset of therapy, group members must sign a binding contract to maintain confidentiality.
B. You should discuss the benefits of maintaining confidentiality and note the limits to confidentiality when a group is involved.
C. Group members have no legal obligation to maintain confidentiality.
D. Group members are legally obligated to maintain confidentiality.
E. Outline that it is expected group members will maintain confidentiality, and those who do not will no longer be able to participate.
B. is the most appropriate response. The APS guidelines for working with young people outline that psychologist should explain established from the outset the expectations of keeping confidential the information disclosed in sessions, as well as limits to confidentiality. The APS guidelines for psychological services involving multiple clients outline that limits to confidentiality be explained to all clients in a group situation.
While providing supervision to training psychologists, a supervisor discloses significant depression relating to a personal relationship and asks for advice from the supervisor. The supervisor should:
A. Assess extent of the supervises depressive symptoms and provide psychological intervention as deemed appropriate.
B. Ignore the request for advice and focus exclusively on the supervision cases being discussed.
C. Explain the boundaries of your relationship and offered to make a referral to an external clinician. Discussed the supervisee’s depression and relationship in relation to how these are impacting their professional functioning.
D. Ignore the request and during group supervision and outline inappropriateness of bringing personal issues to supervision.
E. Explain that reporting such difficulties in the context of clinical supervision can be viewed as the supervisee avoiding focusing on their deficient clinical skills.
C. is the most appropriate response. supervisors are not to provide psychological assessment or treatment to a supervisee as it is not ethical to address personal difficulties or provide relationship advice per say; However, discussion of the supervisors depression and relationship can be made in relation to how these impact professional functioning. Offer to make a referral to a clinician outside of the clinic for therapeutic support is also appropriate.
Which of the following statements are correct?
A. Psychologists seek professional supervision or consultation on a monthly basis to maintain and develop appropriate skills in the area of professional practise.
B. Psychologists only provide psychological service within the limits of their education, training, supervised experience, and appropriate professional experience, except those working in rural or remote areas.
C. Psychologists monitor their professional functioning on a monthly basis, and if they become aware of problems that may impair their ability to provide competent psychological services, they take appropriate action.
D. All of the above.
E. None of the above.
E. is the most appropriate response. According to the APS code of ethics section propriety B.1.3., psychologists are expected to seek professional supervision or consultation as required; B.1.2., psychologists are expected to provide psychological services within the boundaries of their professional competence (no exceptions), and B.1.4., psychologists need to continuously monitor their professional functioning.
Which of the following are considered vulnerable groups for reporting abuse and neglect?
A. Individuals under a guardianship order.
B. Individuals with dementia.
C. Nursing home residents.
D. All of the above.
E. None of the above.
D. is the most appropriate response. The APS guidelines on reporting abuse, neglect, and criminal activity (pg. 143) notes, “vulnerable groups other than children include older adults in aged care facilities, people with an intellectual disability, people covered by guardianship acts, and people covered by mental health acts”.
Which General Principle relates to psychologists establishing a trusting relationship with colleagues?
A. Integrity.
B. Justice.
C. Propriety.
D. Respect.
E. Recency.
A. is the most appropriate response. Professional trusting relationships are included under the APS code of ethics principles Cintegrity.
When is it reasonable to terminate psychological services with a client?
A. If a psychologist is threatened by a client.
B. If psychological services are no longer required.
C. If benefit to the client is not being recognised.
D. When the psychologist is confronted with evidence of a problem or situation which they are not competent to deal with.
E. All of the above are acceptable grounds to terminate.
E. is the most appropriate response. The APS code of ethics section B.11 outline situations under which the termination of psychological services can occur which includes all listed situations. additionally, when terminating services psychologists do so with care and understanding of the client issues related to ending services and with the offering of referral elsewhere as appropriate for different or alternative services.
When is it acceptable to make multiple photocopies of psychological tests for part of a study protocol?
A. Always.
B. Never.
C. Only if copyrighted.
D. Only if you paid for the original.
E. Only if you able to find it on the Internet.
B. is the most appropriate response. Most psychological tests are copyrighted and owners have specifically stated copies are not to be made. The guidelines regarding psychological tests and test used indicate that the copyright holder of any test remains the owner of said test and thus the copyright holder determines if and when any specific test can be copied.
When a person is believed to lack capacity to give consent, the psychologist needs to:
A. Attempt to obtain the client’s consent as far as possible.
B. Obtain consent from the clients legal guardian.
C. Obtain both the consent from the clients legal guardian and the clients consent as far as possible.
D. Consider not to pursue therapy with the client due to the high risk of exploitation.
E. Continue with psychological treatment as the client displays high need.
C. is the most appropriate response. The APS code of ethics, principle A.3.6. states, “psychologists who work with clients whose capacity to give consent is, or maybe, impaired or limited, obtain the consent of people with legal authority to act on behalf of the client, and attempt to obtain the consent as far as practically possible”. he previous of therapy would need to be determined as a separate issue from the ability to make informed consent.
A provisional psychologist has had a low participant right in their supervised research project. As a result, the student has expanded the possible participant pool from attendees at a local community centre gathering to include shoppers at an adjoining local shopping centre. The study has not been approved by the governing Ethics Committee to include such shoppers, but the same informed consent procedures for the approved participants at the community centre have been used. The student supervisor was not consulted about the expansion of participants. When the supervisor informs their supervisor that they have ‘widened’ is different pool without first gaining approval from the Ethics Committee, the supervisor is not pleased. What is likely to happen regarding the research project?
A. The additional data will be discarded, and the situation will not be discussed again as the supervisee now knows what they did was not appropriate.
B. The additional data will be allowed as the existing approved concerned procedures were used and after explanation with the supervisor will be grateful for the students flexible approach.
C. The matter will have to be reported to the psychology board of Australia for possible action.
D. A report will have to be made to the governing Ethics Committee and request their guidance regarding what to do with the data.
E. Both A and C.
D. is the most appropriate response. One must ethically and purposely obtain research data in a planned and of respectful manner. Ethics approval needs to be sought and gained, as appropriate to circumstances, before engaging in data collection as a matter of propriety.
A new client discloses to you in session that he was receiving service from another psychologist a few months back, but he terminated that relationship because the psychologist repeatedly made inappropriate sexual comments in session that made him feel uncomfortable. You should:
A. Have your client tell you the name of the other psychologist and report him or her to AHPRA.
B. State that the client must be mistaken as psychologists must abide by the code of ethics and would not behave in such a way.
C. Have your client tell you the name of the other psychologist and confront him or her in person or on the telephone.
D. Nothing since you did not witness any inappropriate behaviour yourself.
E. Inform your client that the other psychologists reported behaviour was unethical and discuss what actions he may want to take.
E. is the most appropriate response. According to APS code of ethics C.7 (ethical investigations and concerns), where appropriate, draw attention to the unethical nature of the psychologists reported conduct, encourage people directly affected by such behaviour to report, or report the conduct or relevant regulatory body or the Ethics Committee of the society. In line with general principle A, in particular A.3 (informed consent) and A.5 (confidentiality), it is important to discuss options available to the client in this matter, which include third doing nothing, reporting the conduct themselves, or asking the new professional to contact the psychologist to discuss the matter or report the concern officially.
Your friend, a respected psychologist, suffers a moderate traumatic brain injury following a sporting accident. You have noticed that she has been more forgetful and has difficulty concentrating since that time. What should you do?
A. Nothing as you believe the traumatic brain injury will quickly resolve an she will regain preinjury functioning.
B. Have a conversation with her regarding your concerns in the first instance.
C. Nothing as it is her responsibility to monitor her own functioning and competencies.
D. Make a report to the psychology board of Australia in the first instance.
E. Talk with her about your concerns and complete an informal neuropsychological assessment to monitor her functioning.
B.
is the most appropriate response. It is most appropriate to raise your concerns with your colleague. If you notice her performance declining and resulting in client harm this would also be notifiable conduct. Principle C Of the APS code of ethics, Integrity, C.7.2 Ethics investigations an concerns, indicates where appropriate psychologists attend to the concerning behaviour of other psychologists. first, one could talk directly with the psychologist in question, then to any senior psychologist involved, and if needed, make a report the psychology board of Australia. those directly affected by the psychologist in questions conduct would be informed of their option as to address and if necessary report the matter.
You are teaching a class for a university psychology programme as a paid visiting lecturer and you need to organise cover for when you go on your annual holiday for stop which of the following is the most ethical option?
A. Have some selected advanced supervisees voluntarily guest lecture when you are on vacation, given that they are knowledgeable in their respective topic, for the days that you are gone as the practise will be useful to them.
B. Present the option to substitute teach to all your advanced supervisees.
C. Have some selected advanced supervisees guest lecture when you are on vacation, given that they are knowledgeable in the respective topic, for the days you are gone and compensate them based on what you would have earned for teaching those classes
D. Present the option to substitute teach to all of your advanced supervisees and compensate them based on what you would have earned for teaching those classes.
E. Present the option to voluntarily teach to all your advanced supervisors & sign up those who respond first, as it is important to get the position filled as quickly as possible.
C. is the most appropriate. selecting advanced supervisees ensures competence in the task and arranging for the supervisee to be compensated for the work they have done ensures that they are not being exploited. The APS code of ethics, C.4. Non exploitation C.4.2., indicates that related to training and unpaid workers, psychologist do not exploit supervisees, students, or volunteers by requiring them to engage in work that is of no benefit to them. Additionally, psychologists who delegate tasks to assistance, employees, junior colleagues, or supervisees that involve the provision of psychological services take reasonable steps to ensure that the delegates are competent to undertake the tasks assigned to them.
