Ethics & Professional Issues

Question 1

You’ve just been asked to provide mental health services to residents of a small town who have been traumatized by a shooting at the elementary school. To be consistent with ethical requirements, you should provide the requested services:

Answer 1

even if you don’t have relevant training and experience as long as alternative services are unavailable and you discontinue providing services when the emergency ends or appropriate services become available.

Question 2

A psychologist routinely administers a measure of clinical symptomology to most of his clients, who are young and middle-aged adults. Several older adults have been recently referred to him, but the measure he routinely uses has little or no information about its validity for members of this population. With regard to ethical requirements:

Answer 2

it would be acceptable for the psychologist to administer this measure to older clients if alternative measures are unavailable and he explains the possible limitations of its results to the clients.

Question 3

Your current client, Maggie M., invites you to a party she’s having to celebrate the completion of her dissertation. As an ethical psychologist, you:

Answer 3

consider the nature of your therapeutic relationship with Maggie and the potential effect on her of your acceptance or refusal of her invitation before deciding whether or not to accept the invitation.

Question 4

Which of the following describes ethical requirements regarding a psychologist’s use of animals as subjects in research?

Answer 4

Psychologists may use animal subjects in research that causes them pain or stress when alternative procedures are unavailable and doing so is justified by the study’s prospective value.

Question 5

Privilege refers to:

Answer 5

the legal requirement to protect client confidentiality in court testimony, depositions, and other legal proceedings.

Question 6

Your neighbor tells you that one of her co-workers, a licensed psychologist, sometimes makes sexually suggestive comments that make her very uncomfortable and self-conscious. She says she asked him to stop making the comments last week because she finds them offensive, and he said his intention was to be funny but that he’d stop if that’s what she wants. In terms of ethical requirements, it appears that the co-worker’s comments:

Answer 6

represent sexual harassment if the co-worker does not stop making sexually suggestive comments after being told they’re offensive.

Question 7

Dr. Axelrod’s new client is Michael Moreland, a 35-year-old African American man. Mr. Moreland has worked steadily as a dishwasher since he was 17, but he was laid off six months ago and has been unable to find a job. His presenting symptoms suggest he’s dealing with depression. Dr. Axelrod, a White middle-class cognitive behavioral therapist, specializes in treating depression but hasn’t worked with African American or low-income clients. However, he wants to expand his scope of practice to include members of populations he has not yet worked with. To be consistent with ethical requirements, Dr. Axelrod should:

Answer 7

agree to see Mr. Moreland in therapy as long as he consults while doing so with a colleague who has experience working with African American and low-income clients.

Question 8

You receive a subpoena requesting you to appear in court from the attorney to provide information about a former client. Assuming that the subpoena is valid and that you do not have authorization from the client to release confidential information, you should:

Answer 8

appear in court as requested but assert the privilege on behalf of the client.

Question 9

You will be teaching your first introductory psychology class next semester and are considering requiring students to participate in one research study as a course requirement. This is acceptable as long as students:

Answer 9

are given the option to complete an alternative assignment instead of participating in a research study.

Question 10

Which of the following best describes implied consent?

Answer 10

It is inferred from the behaviors or circumstances of a person.

Question 11

Dr. Sholen has trained a psychology intern to administer and score several psychological tests that she frequently administers to clients who have been referred to her for psychological assessment. Dr. Sholen always interprets the clients’ scores and, when preparing the psychological reports for clients who have taken these tests, she doesn’t indicate that they were administered and scored by the intern. This practice is:

Answer 11

unethical since the intern should be identified as the person who administered and scored the tests.

Question 12

Dr. Merritt overhears Alice, one of the interns she’s supervising, making disparaging remarks about people with addictions to a group of friends on two separate occasions. However, Dr. Merritt has never observed Alice acting in an inappropriate way with clients who have any type of addiction and she hasn’t discussed what she overheard with Alice. When Alice receives her performance evaluation, Dr. Merritt has noted that one of the low ratings she assigned was due to her concern that Alice is likely to have trouble working with clients who have an addiction. With regard to ethical guidelines:

Answer 12

Dr. Merritt’s evaluation is not acceptable because it was not based entirely on Alice’s actual performance as an intern.

Question 13

Which of the following is most consistent with ethical guidelines for contingent fees?

Answer 13

Accepting contingent fees should usually be avoided.

Question 14

Halfway through the semester, a psychology professor changes some of the requirements listed in the course syllabus because he realizes he left out several important readings that are relevant to the course. Changing the requirements is:

Answer 14

acceptable only if the professor’s changes do not affect the ability of students to fulfill the new requirements by the end of the semester.

Question 15

APA’s Record Keeping Guidelines recommend that, in the absence of legal and institutional requirements, psychologists retain the full client record until _____ years after the last date of service delivery for adults or _____ years after a minor reaches the age of majority, whichever occurs later.

Answer 15

7; 3

Question 16

The use of a sliding scale when setting fees for therapy clients:

Answer 16

may be acceptable but is not explicitly mentioned in the ethics codes published by the American and Canadian Psychological Associations.

Question 17

Your new clients are married partners who have been arguing more often since their youngest child left home two months ago to attend college. They say that all three of their children are no longer living at home and they don’t seem to have much in common any more. As the partners describe their daily lives, you learn they just joined the same church that you belong to. As an ethical psychologist, you should:

Answer 17

consider if their church membership is likely to impact your effectiveness as a therapist before deciding what to do.

Question 18

At the end of her third therapy session, Mrs. Walters tells her therapist, Dr. Kramer, that her husband is very angry with Dr. Kramer because he seems to be telling her things in therapy that are destroying their marriage. When Dr. Kramer asks Mrs. Walters about her husband’s anger, she says he’s been threatening to beat Dr. Kramer “to a pulp.” From what Mrs. Walters has already told Dr. Kramer about her husband, he knows that Mr. Walters has a history of violent behavior and spent time in jail for severely beating and nearly killing a neighbor several years ago. To be consistent with ethical guidelines, Dr. Kramer:

Answer 18

may terminate therapy with Mrs. Walters with or without providing her with pretermination counseling.

Question 19

Which of the following best describes ethical guidelines for requiring students to disclose personal information in course- or program-related activities about any psychological treatment they’ve received in the past?

Answer 19

Requiring students to do so is acceptable when doing so is clearly identified as a requirement in program and admissions materials.

Question 20

When clients whose fees are paid for by an insurance company do not show up for their appointments or cancel an appointment within less than 24 hours, a psychologist bills the insurance company for the appointment. This is:

Answer 20

unacceptable because she’s providing inaccurate information to the insurance companies.

Question 21

Dr. Friedman’s new client, Elsa E., says she feels anxious “a lot of the time” and wants to be trained in mindfulness meditation to reduce her anxiety. Dr. Friedman is a psychodynamic psychotherapist, but she knows there’s evidence that mindfulness interventions have been found to be effective for treating anxiety and she attended a one-hour introductory workshop on mindfulness-based stress reduction several weeks ago. To be consistent with ethical requirements, Dr. Friedman should:

Answer 21

inform Elsa of her limited experience with mindfulness meditation, discuss Elsa’s options with her, and refer her to a qualified therapist if she continues to want training in mindfulness meditation.

Question 22

The 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association states that authors should retain raw data associated with their articles published in APA journals:

Answer 22

in accordance with institutional or funder requirements.

Question 23

Toward the end of his second date with Susie S., Dr. Browne realizes that Susie is the sister of one of his clients. Dr. Brown is very attracted to Susie, would like to continue dating her, and thinks she could be “the one.” However, as an ethical psychologist, Dr. Browne:

Answer 23

will continue dating Susie only if she’s the sister of a former (not current) client of his.

Question 24

A psychologist is conducting a research study that will involve interviewing and administering several tests to psychiatric inpatients who have legal guardians. To be consistent with ethical guidelines, the psychologist should obtain:

Answer 24

assent from each patient and informed consent from each patient’s legal guardian.

Question 25

A psychologist who is providing individual therapy to inmates of an adult correctional facility is told by one of the inmates during a therapy session that he is very angry at another inmate and intends to physically harm him. The psychologist knows that the inmate (his client) has a history of violent behavior. The psychologist should:

Answer 25

inform the appropriate prison official of the inmate’s intent.

Question 26

Authors of research articles published in APA journals must retain their data for:

Answer 26

at least 5 years after the date of publication.

Question 27

Dr. Andersen is having trouble with her abrasive father-in-law, a 58-year-old alcoholic, who moved in with Dr. Andersen and her husband two months ago. She realizes that she hates going home after work and that she’s started feeling negatively toward therapy clients who resemble her father-in-law. To be consistent with ethical guidelines, Dr. Andersen should:

Answer 27

consult with a colleague to help her monitor her effectiveness with clients and determine the best course of action.

Question 28

You saw Betty and Bob in therapy for several months and, during their last two sessions, they came to the decision that divorce was the best course of action for them. Several months after terminating therapy with you, Betty calls to ask you to conduct a child custody evaluation and provide recommendations about custody to the court. You should:

Answer 28

refuse to conduct the custody evaluation.

Question 29

When a psychologist is providing therapy to an employee through an employee assistance program (EAP), the psychologist:

Answer 29

must not provide any confidential information to the employee’s supervisor without authorization from the employee whether the employee’s participation is the result of self-referral or referral from the supervisor.

Question 30

Which of the following best describes ethical requirements regarding sexual relationships with students and supervisees?

Answer 30

Psychologists are prohibited from becoming sexually involved with students and supervisees over whom they have or are likely to have evaluative authority.

Question 31

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) allows covered entities to disclose a patient’s personal health information (PHI):

Answer 31

without an authorization signed by the patient when it’s going to be used for the purpose of treatment, payment, or health care operations.

Question 32

You are preparing a brochure to advertise your professional services and would like to include testimonials from satisfied clients. To be consistent with ethical requirements, you can solicit testimonials from:

Answer 32

former (but not current) clients as long as they’re not vulnerable to undue influence.

Question 33

A graduate student’s dissertation research extends an aspect of his advisor’s ongoing longitudinal research on treatments for PTSD. When the student submits an article describing the results of his study to a journal, he lists his advisor as second author. With regard to ethical requirements, this is:

Answer 33

acceptable as long as the listing of the advisor as second author reflects her actual contribution to the student’s research.

Question 34

____________ are the standards used in the APA’s Ethics Code to define sexual harassment.

Answer 34

Hostile environment and reasonable person

Question 35

During her second therapy session with Dr. Simone, a cognitive-behavioral therapist, Millie tells him that she has been seeing another psychologist for therapy for nearly three months. As an ethical psychologist, Dr. Simone will:

Answer 35

determine why Millie is seeing another therapist to help determine the best course of action.

Question 36

You saw Mr. Miller in therapy for four months when he suddenly terminated therapy with no warning or explanation. In addition, he has not paid for his last five sessions and has not responded to the two letters you’ve sent him asking him to contact you to discuss his unpaid bill. You want to use a collection agency to collect the money he owes you. To be consistent with ethical requirements, you will:

Answer 36

notify Mr. Miller that you will contact a collection agency if you don’t hear from him by the end of the month.

Question 37

Which of the following best describes ethical requirements regarding in-person solicitation of business?

Answer 37

Psychologists must not engage in uninvited in-person solicitation of business from current or potential therapy clients or others who are vulnerable to undue influence.

Question 38

A psychology intern working at a mental health clinic tells her supervisor that, during the first session with a new client, he revealed that he’s gay. The intern says she does not want to work with this client or any other gay or lesbian clients because homosexuality violates her religious beliefs. The supervisor should:

Answer 38

determine if it’s necessary to reassign the intern’s current client to another therapist and discuss with the intern ways that might help her reconcile the conflict between her religious beliefs and the requirement that psychologists work effectively with diverse (including homosexual) clients.

Question 39

Which of the following statements best describes the requirements of the ethics codes published by the American and Canadian Psychological Associations for bartering?

Answer 39

Bartering may be acceptable when it’s not clinically contraindicated.

Question 40

When acting as a fact witness in a legal proceeding, psychologists:

Answer 40

cannot offer their opinions about a defendant’s mental state.

Question 41

A psychologist would most likely violate ethical requirements for maintaining test security when he or she:

Answer 41

provides a client’s attorney with a copy of test items and the client’s answers to the items in response to a subpoena and with the client’s permission.

Question 42

Which of the following best describes ethical requirements regarding psychologists’ use of client testimonials in brochures and other statements describing their professional services?

Answer 42

They may use solicited testimonials from former therapy clients who are not vulnerable to undue influence.

Question 43

Dr. Bernstein, a school psychologist, has just been hired by a school district in a Southwestern town. Part of his job will be to administer tests to students to help determine if they qualify for special education. Spanish is likely to be the first language of some of the students he will evaluate, and many of these students will have limited English skills. To be consistent with ethical requirements when evaluating these students, Dr. Bernstein:

Answer 43

may use an interpreter who is fluent in both Spanish and English and has appropriate training and must indicate the possible limitations of the test results in his report.

Question 44

Dr. King teaches classes on neuropsychology and conducts research on neurological correlates of aging at a large university. In her introductory neuropsychology class, she covers only research on aging that’s produced results that are similar to her own studies. In terms of the requirements of the ethics codes of the American and Canadian Psychological Associations, this is:

Answer 44

unacceptable.

Question 45

When psychologists think their own personal problems may impair their ability to provide therapy in a competent manner, the best course of action is to:

Answer 45

seek consultation to determine whether to limit or suspend their work-related activities.

Question 46

Which of the following videoconferencing platforms is not considered HIPAA compliant because it will not enter into a business associate agreement?

Answer 46

Consumer Skype

Question 47

You have been hired by the court to evaluate a defendant’s competency to stand trial. The focus of your evaluation of the defendant will be on determining the defendant’s:

Answer 47

ability to understand the charges against him.

Question 48

At the beginning of his fourth therapy session, Antonio tells Dr. Wickham that he’s also seeing another therapist who was referred to him by a co-worker. To be consistent with ethical guidelines, Dr. Wickham should:

Answer 48

discuss the situation with Antonio to find out why he’s seeing two therapists at the same time and determine the best course of action.

Question 49

The ASPPB’s Supervision Guidelines for Education and Training Leading to Licensure as a Health Service Provider states that a psychology intern’s primary supervisor:

Answer 49

A. must be a licensed psychologist.

Question 50

You have been hired by a large online auction site to assist with its hiring procedure for tech support jobs by administering and scoring psychological tests and using their results to make hiring recommendations. The human resource manager tells you that the psychologist who previously had your job administered a personality test to applicants and that she would like you to continue administering the test because it provided useful information about the applicants. As an ethical psychologist, you should:

Answer 50

C. agree to include the test only if it has been validated as a selection technique for jobs requiring the skills required by the tech support job.

Question 51

Requiring psychology students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs to participate in individual or group therapy may be acceptable if:

Answer 51

B. students are allowed to select providers from mental health professionals not affiliated with the program.

Question 52

You receive a letter from a colleague requesting that you send her a copy of the record of Donald D., a former client of yours. The request is accompanied by an authorization to release information signed by Donald. Donald abruptly ended his sessions with you three months ago, at which time he owed you for his past four therapy sessions. You’ve sent two letters to Donald about his unpaid bill, but he has not responded. To be consistent with ethical requirements, you:

Answer 52

C. may refuse to forward the record to the colleague for nonpayment of fees only if they are not needed for Donald’s emergency treatment.

Question 53

When conducting group therapy, you should:

Answer 53

C. discuss the importance of maintaining confidentiality with group members in the initial and subsequent sessions.

Question 54

A graduate student has just been hired as a research assistant for a psychology professor’s research study. The student quickly realizes that the psychologist is requiring undergraduate students in his Psychology 101 class to act as subjects in the study as a course requirement and is not offering them the choice of an alternative assignment. To fulfill ethical requirements, the graduate student should:

Answer 54

B. discuss the ethical violation with the psychologist.

Question 55

Dr. Horowitz learns that a current therapy client has started dating one of Dr. Horowitz’s close friends. To be consistent with ethical guidelines, Dr. Horowitz should:

Answer 55

B. discuss the situation with her client to help determine the best course of action.

Question 56

During your fifth session with Bonnie, she tells you that her boyfriend, Bruno, is very angry with you because he thinks you’re trying to get her to leave him and he’s threatening to “beat you up.” You know from what Bonnie has told you in previous sessions that Bruno is a violent person and has spent time in jail for physical assault more than once. To be consistent with ethical requirements, you:

Answer 56

D. may terminate therapy with Bonnie with or without providing her with pretermination counseling and referrals.

Question 57

The receptionist at the mental health clinic where you work tells you she’s concerned about the behavior of another psychologist who works at the clinic. Based on the receptionist’s description of the psychologist’s behavior, you conclude that the behavior violates the psychologist’s ethical obligations. Assuming that client confidentiality is not an issue and that you are not legally required to report the psychologist’s behavior to appropriate authorities, you:

Answer 57

D. should attempt to resolve the situation informally by talking to the psychologist if it seems appropriate to do so.

Question 58

By the end of the first session with a client, you realize that his symptoms meet the diagnostic criteria for antisocial personality disorder. You’ve learned from past experience that clients with this diagnosis often fail to pay their bills and, for this reason, decide not to continue seeing him in therapy. With regard to ethical requirements, this is:

Answer 58

C. acceptable as long as you provide the client with referrals to other mental health professionals.

Question 59

Which of the following best describes the requirements of the ethics codes of the American and Canadian Psychological Associations regarding sexual relationships with supervisees?

Answer 59

A. Sexual relationships with supervisees over whom psychologists have evaluative authority are prohibited.

Question 60

You receive a phone call from the mother of Max, a former client of yours, requesting that you provide her with a copy of Max’s record. Max, age 32, stopped coming to therapy six months ago and died in a car accident two months ago. To be consistent with ethical guidelines, you:

Answer 60

D. refuse to provide her with information in Max’s record without permission of the executor or administrator of his estate.

Question 61

As described in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, & NCME, 2014):

Answer 61

test modifications (but not accommodations) alter the construct measured by the original test.

Question 62

Dr. Crosby, a licensed psychologist, wants to take two weeks off next month from her full-time private practice to spend time with her father who lives alone and will be having hip replacement surgery. With regard to her current therapy clients, Dr. Crosby’s best course of action is to:

Answer 62

B. give her clients the phone number of a colleague who is willing to accept their calls and see them in case of an emergency.

Question 63

At the request of the editor of a professional journal, a psychologist is reviewing a research paper that has been submitted to the journal for publication. The psychologist is impressed with the research and wants to apply some of the unique ideas presented in the paper to the research he is currently conducting. In this situation, the psychologist (reviewer):

Answer 63

C. cannot use the ideas in his own research unless he obtains permission from the paper’s authors to do so.

Question 64

Which of the following best describes ethical requirements with regard to pro bono services?

Answer 64

A. Because pro bono services are addressed in the General Principles, they’re encouraged by the Code.

Question 65

You have been hired by a company to help determine whether current employees should be considered for promotion to managerial-level jobs. The human resources director says, to cut down on costs, he wants you to base your decisions primarily on the results of tests that were administered to the employees when they applied for their original jobs with the company. When you look at the employees’ files, you realize that most of the test results are outdated. As an ethical psychologist, you will:

Answer 65

D. explain to the director why you cannot comply with this request and recommend an alternative procedure for evaluating the employees.

Question 66

Dr. Lansky returned to school when she was 48 years old to obtain a Psy.D. in clinical psychology. She already had a Ph.D. in business administration and, now that she’s a licensed psychologist, decides to list both doctoral degrees in her business card and advertisements for her clinical practice. This is:

Answer 66

D. unacceptable.

Question 67

Dr. Hedges has been seeing Betty in therapy for three months to help her deal with the sudden death of her mother. She’s made progress toward achieving her therapy goals, and they’ve started talking about terminating therapy. During her current session, Betty tells Dr. Hedges that her best friend is going through a divorce and she’d like to refer her to Dr. Hedges for therapy. Dr. Hedges should:

Answer 67

B. tell Betty he cannot see her friend in therapy and offer to give her friend referrals to other mental health professionals.

Question 68

Sally S., age 14, began therapy at the request of her parents who were concerned about her increasing moodiness and oppositional behaviors. During her fifth therapy session, Sally tells you she’s been thinking about killing herself. When you express your concern, she says she’s “just kidding” and asks you not to say anything to her parents. Your best course of action would be to:

Answer 68

B. continue to discuss Sally’s feelings about killing herself to determine if she is actually at risk for attempting suicide.

Question 69

To ensure that she obtains a sufficient number of subjects for her doctoral dissertation research, a graduate student plans to offer some type of inducement to volunteers. With regard to ethical requirements, this is:

Answer 69

D. acceptable as long as the inducement is not coercive because of its value or desirability to potential volunteers.

Question 70

You had seen Lloyd in therapy for four months when he suddenly announced he had to quit therapy because he was moving to another city to be near his parents. When Lloyd quit therapy, he owed you for his last three sessions. You have sent Lloyd two letters requesting that he pay his outstanding fees but he hasn’t responded, and you are thinking about hiring a collection agency to collect the fees. With regard to ethical requirements, using a collection agency is:

Answer 70

C. acceptable only if you notify Lloyd of your intent and give him an opportunity to pay the outstanding fees before doing so.

Question 71

Dr. Yoshida receives a subpoena from an attorney that requires him to testify at trial about a former therapy client. The client’s authorization to release information is not attached to the subpoena, so Dr. Yoshida contacts the client who tells him that she doesn’t want him to provide any information about her treatment. Dr. Yoshida should:

Answer 71

C. contact the attorney who issued the subpoena and ask that he be released from it.

Question 72

You have been seeing Betsy B., age 49, in therapy via videoconferencing for five months when she tells you she is moving to another state to be closer to her daughter and son-in-law but would like to continue therapy with you. You are not licensed in the state Betsy is moving to. You tell Betsy:

Answer 72

D. you can continue seeing her in therapy via videoconferencing after she moves to another state only if your state and the state she is moving to are PSYPACT states or that state’s law permits you to do so.

Question 73

Dr. Moore has been seeing Ms. Kazinsky in therapy for three months and realizes that he is feeling attracted to her and always looks forward to their sessions. He thinks that she may feel the same way and, several sessions later, they both admit their feelings for each other. Ms. Kazinsky says she thinks she’s achieved her therapy goals and suggests that she stop coming to therapy so they can start dating. If Dr. Moore agrees to this arrangement, he will have acted:

Answer 73

D. unethically regardless of how much time passes between the last therapy session and their first date.

Question 74

Dr. Stein is a family therapist who believes therapy is most effective when all members of the immediate family attend all therapy sessions. During his second session with the Miller family, Mr. Miller is absent and Mrs. Miller says that, while her husband came to the first therapy session, he is unwilling to attend any additional sessions. The best course of action in this situation is for Dr. Stein to:

Answer 74

D. refer Mrs. Miller to another family therapist who is willing to see only some members of the family.

Question 75

Supervision guidelines identify which of the following as a supervisor’s primary ethical and legal obligation?

Answer 75

A. protecting the welfare of the clients of supervisees

Question 76

Ten-year-old Tyler was brought to therapy by his mother at the recommendation of the school counselor who’s concerned about the recent decline in Tyler’s grades and increasing oppositional behavior toward his teachers. After Tyler’s fourth therapy session, you receive a letter from the counselor asking about the progress of Tyler’s therapy. The counselor’s letter is accompanied by an authorization to release information signed by Tyler’s mother. To be consistent with ethical requirements, you should:

Answer 76

C. send the counselor only information you believe is relevant to Tyler’s problems at school.

Question 77

Dr. Sholen finds that she and her intern do not have time to administer tests to all of the clients who are being referred to Dr. Sholen for psychological assessment. As a result, she decides to hire a graduate student who is working on her master’s degree in clinical psychology to administer the MMPI-2 and several similar tests. With regard to ethical requirements, this:

Answer 77

D. may be acceptable as long as the student has had adequate training and will be supervised by Dr. Sholen.

Question 78

Which of the following is most consistent with ethical requirements regarding the acceptance of contingent fees when acting as an expert witness in a legal case?

Answer 78

D. Psychologists should usually avoid accepting contingent fees.

Question 79

Dr. Edison is a behavior therapist who specializes in treating cigarette smoking, nail biting, and other undesirable habits. While at a charity fundraiser, he meets the editor of a local newspaper and they agree that Dr. Edison will help the editor stop smoking in exchange for an article about his services in the newspaper. In terms of ethical requirements, this arrangement is:

Answer 79

C. unacceptable because psychologists are prohibited from compensating employees of newspapers in exchange for a newspaper article about their services.

Question 80

Which of the following descriptions is most consistent with guidelines provided in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association?

Answer 80

B. adults with a mental illness

Question 81

Which of the following best describes ethical requirements regarding debriefing research participants about the nature and results of a research study?

Answer 81

B. Participants should ordinarily be debriefed as soon as possible but, in some cases, debriefing may be delayed or withheld.

Question 82

Which of the following is not a condition for a claim of malpractice against a psychologist?

Answer 82

D. The psychologist knew or should have known the professional services he/she provided would cause harm to the client.

Question 83

Which of the following best describes ethical requirements regarding sexual relationships with students?

Answer 83

D. Psychologists are prohibited from becoming sexually involved with students over whom they have or are likely to have evaluative authority.

Question 84

You have been seeing Evan in therapy for four months to treat his social anxiety. Although Evan seemed to make progress in the first few weeks, his symptoms have not changed since then and you do not think he’s benefitting from treatment. When you bring up the possibility of ending therapy and referring him to another therapist, Evan says he feels therapy is very helpful and wants to continue. In terms of ethical requirements, your best course of action would be to:

Answer 84

B. continue seeing Evan in therapy if you can agree on specific treatment goals but, if not, set a termination date.

Question 85

The personnel committee at a school of professional psychology has decided to deny Dr. Valdez a promotion because one of his clinic clients recently filed an ethics complaint against him. The client’s complaint claims that Dr. Valdez breached the client’s confidentiality by revealing information she told him in individual therapy during a group therapy session without her permission to do so. With regard to ethical requirements, the committee’s decision is:

Answer 85

C. unacceptable if the decision to deny Dr. Valdez’s promotion was based solely on the pending ethics complaint.

Question 86

The personnel committee at a school of professional psychology has decided to deny Dr. Valdez a promotion because one of his clinic clients recently filed an ethics complaint against him. The client’s complaint claims that Dr. Valdez breached the client’s confidentiality by revealing information she told him in individual therapy during a group therapy session without her permission to do so. With regard to ethical requirements, the committee’s decision is:

Answer 86

unacceptable if the decision to deny Dr. Valdez’s promotion was based solely on the pending ethics complaint.

Question 87

When a forensic psychologist is hired to conduct a psychological evaluation of a defendant in a criminal case, the “client” is:

Answer 87

D. the person/entity that retained the psychologist.

Question 88

When psychologists are faced with conflicts between ethical responsibilities and legal requirements, they:

Answer 88

B. may comply with legal requirements when doing so doesn’t violate basic human rights.

Question 89

Dr. O’Leary, a neuropsychologist, administers a number of tests to new patients with traumatic brain injury to assist with differential diagnosis and treatment planning. She decides to also use her patients’ test data in a research study she will be conducting on the effects of traumatic brain injury on memory. In terms of ethical requirements, this is:

Answer 89

C. unacceptable unless she gets the patients’ consent to use their test information in the research study.

Question 90

Halfway through his participation in a research study, a subject becomes unhappy with the study and tells the researcher, a licensed psychologist, that he wants to quit. The subject is a student in an introductory psychology class and is receiving class credit for participating in the study. The researcher should:

Answer 90

D. allow the student to withdraw from the study.

Question 91

Dr. Maddox has been in private practice for nearly 25 years, and her specialty has been treating depression in adolescents and young adults. Now that she’s turned 50, she has more interest in working with older adults. To be consistent with ethical requirements, Dr. Maddox should:

Answer 91

C. see older adults in therapy if she’s able to obtain consultation while doing so with a colleague who has experience working with members of this population.

Question 92

As described in the Privacy Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a therapist can deny clients access to their protected health information when they believe that access is:

Answer 92

B. reasonably likely to endanger the life or physical safety of the client or other person.

Question 93

Dr. Miller has been hired by the court to conduct a court-ordered evaluation of Edward E., a defendant in a criminal case. During his first meeting with Ed, Dr. Miller informs him of the purpose of the evaluation and that it’s court-ordered. Which of the following accurately describes Dr. Miller’s ethical obligations with regard to informed consent in this situation?

Answer 93

A. He does not have to obtain informed consent from Ed before proceeding with the evaluation but should inform him of the limits on confidentiality.

Question 94

You receive a request from a licensed psychologist to provide her with the data you collected for your recently published article for the purpose of reanalyzing the data to verify the conclusions you reached based on that data. To be consistent with ethical requirements, you should:

Answer 94

D. provide the psychologist with the data as long as the confidentiality of research participants is protected.

Question 95

When a supervisor has legal responsibility for the actions of a psychology intern, the intern:

Answer 95

B. must inform clients that he/she is being supervised and give them the supervisor’s name.

Question 96

The “holder of the privilege” is ordinarily:

Answer 96

C. the client.

Question 97

When a psychologist is evaluating a defendant’s competency to stand trial, the evaluation focuses on which of the following?

Answer 97

C. the defendant’s ability to understand the charges against him/her

Question 98

To be consistent with APA guidelines, you would not use which of the following to describe research participants in an article about your study?

Answer 98

D. physically challenged adults

Question 99

You are conducting a research study that involves administering several tests to middle school students. Before starting the study, you obtained informed consents from the students and their parents but, during the course of the study, three of the students say they don’t want to take all of the tests. As an ethical psychologist, you:

Answer 99

D. allow the students to withdraw from the study.

Question 100

You have been hired by a company to assist with its hiring process by administering, scoring, and interpreting a battery of tests to applicants for sales jobs. The director of human resources has asked you to include a personality test that you know has not been validated as a predictor of job performance for salespeople. As an ethical psychologist, you will tell the director that:

Answer 100

A. you cannot comply with this request.

Question 101

Emiko E. was a client of Dr. Beck for seven months. She ended therapy with Dr. Beck four months ago but calls to request an appointment because she’s feeling very anxious and depressed and has started thinking about killing herself. For the past three months, Dr. Beck has been reducing his practice by referring current clients to other therapists and not accepting new clients because he and his wife are planning to move to another state to be closer to their adult son and his family. The best course of action for Dr. Beck is to:

Answer 101

C. agree to see Emiko in therapy until her crisis has passed and then provide her with a referral to a colleague if she needs additional therapy sessions.

Question 102

You have just received a subpoena requesting that you appear in court to provide information about the diagnosis and treatment of a former client of yours who is suing her current therapist for malpractice. You are unable to contact the client or confirm that she has signed an authorization to release information. In this situation, you should:

Answer 102

C. appear in court as requested but claim the privilege on behalf of the client.

Question 103

Dr. Bonnie Bright specializes in treating substance abuse and has provided individual and family therapy to many of the well-known citizens of the small town where she lives. During a workshop for licensed clinical psychologists who reside in the town and nearby rural communities, Dr. Bright describes the series of events that led one prominent family in the town to begin therapy with her. Although Dr. Bright changes the last name and first names of the family members, one of the participants in the workshop recognizes who she’s talking about and reveals their identity to other participants. Which of the following best describes this situation?

Answer 103

D. Dr. Bright violated ethical requirements because changing the names of the family members was not adequate given that they are prominent citizens residing in a small town.

Question 104

Mark Martinez is a graduate student in clinical psychology and is on-staff at a behavioral health clinic. He notices that the clinic’s most recent newspaper ad lists staff members and their credentials and identifies him as “Ph.D. (Cand.).” This designation of Mark’s credentials is:

Answer 104

D. unacceptable even if it accurately identifies his status.

Question 105

A psychology professor at a large university has just developed a new screening test for depression and wants to compare scores on her test to scores on the Beck Depression Inventory and two other measures of depressive symptoms. She will do so by having a sample of adults who have and have not received a diagnosis of major depressive disorder complete the four measures. If the professor hires psychology graduate students to administer the measures to participants, this will be:

Answer 105

D. acceptable as long as the students are provided with training in administering the measures and relevant ethical guidelines.

Question 106

Dr. Sipowicz has been seeing Annie for six weeks to treat her social phobia and decides it would benefit Annie if her husband attends several of her sessions. When Dr. Sipowicz discusses this with Annie, she agrees and says she’ll bring him to her next session. Annie’s husband is seeing another therapist to deal with his gambling problem. Inviting Annie’s husband to participate in Annie’s therapy sessions is:

Answer 106

C. acceptable since you believe his participation in therapy will benefit Annie.

Question 107

Which of the following statements best describes a psychologist’s ethical requirements with regard to obtaining informed consents for research?

Answer 107

C. Informed consents are not necessary when the study involves investigating normal educational practices.

Question 108

Which of the following best describes the requirements of the ethics codes of the American and Canadian Psychological Associations regarding the release of test data and other client information to adult clients?

Answer 108

C. Psychologists may refuse to release a client’s test results to the client when they believe that doing so may cause imminent serious physical harm to the client.

Question 109

The ASPPB’s E.Passport is one of the requirements for:

Answer 109

A. providing telepsychology to a client who is in another jurisdiction.

Question 110

Concerns about using Skype as a means of providing psychotherapy on the Internet focus primarily on which of the following issues?

Answer 110

confidentiality

Question 111

Which of the following describes ethical requirements regarding a psychologist’s use of deception in a research study?

Answer 111

B. Psychologists may use deception when it’s justified by the study’s prospective value and participants are allowed to withdraw from the study at any time.

Question 112

Which of the following best describes ethical requirements for the use of deception in research?

Answer 112

A. Deception may be acceptable when alternative nondeceptive procedures are unavailable.

Question 113

With regard to ethical requirements, which of the following is true about withholding a therapy client’s record for nonpayment of fees?

Answer 113

B. Withholding a client’s record for nonpayment of fees is always unethical when it’s needed for the client’s emergency treatment.

Question 114

Which of the following best describes ethical requirements regarding authorship for a journal article that’s based substantially on a student’s doctoral dissertation?

Answer 114

A. The student must be listed as the principal author.

Question 115

Dr. Liu, a licensed psychologist, is asked to provide emergency mental health services to members of a nearby rural community that has just been devastated by a flood. Dr. Liu has never worked with victims of natural disasters, but she completed a course in crisis intervention in graduate school and there’s no one else in or near the community who has relevant experience. To be consistent with ethical requirements, Dr. Liu should:

Answer 115

D. provide the services only until they’re no longer needed or alternative services become available.

Question 116

As a fact witness in a legal proceeding, a psychologist:

Answer 116

D. cannot offer his/her opinion about a defendant’s potential for future violence.

Question 117

You’re conducting a research study that will involve interviewing and observing 50 sixth grade students. To fulfill ethical requirements, you should obtain:

Answer 117

C. assent from each student and permission from the parent(s) of each student.

Question 118

You’re conducting a research study that will involve interviewing and observing 50 sixth grade students. To fulfill ethical requirements, you should obtain:

Answer 118

C. assent from each student and permission from the parent(s) of each student.

Question 119

A therapist accepted a small gift from a 65-year-old Chinese therapy client because he was concerned that rejecting the gift might have caused the client to “lose face.” The therapist’s acceptance of the gift is most consistent with which of the General Principles contained in the APA’s Ethics Code?

Answer 119

A. Beneficence/Nonmaleficence and Respect

Question 120

Which of the following best describes ethical requirements about denying tenure or promotion to employees who have made or are the subjects of an ethics complaint?

Answer 120

D. Psychologists may not deny tenure or promotion to an employee solely because that employee is the complainant or respondent in a pending ethics complaint.

Question 121

A psychologist has been asked to serve as a fact witness in court by the attorney of a former client. The psychologist assessed and provided therapy to the client several months ago, but the client dropped out of therapy before completion of treatment due to financial problems. While providing testimony in court, the psychologist is asked by the client’s attorney for her opinion about the impact of the client’s disorder on his future functioning. In this situation, the psychologist should:

Answer 121

D. not provide an opinion unless ordered to do so by the judge.

Question 122

When consulting with a colleague about a client who’s not responding to treatment, you:

Answer 122

B. must get authorization from the client before doing so if you cannot disguise her identity while discussing the situation with the colleague.

Question 123

A professional executor is the person designated by a psychologist to carry out the terms of a psychologist’s professional will. According to the ASPPB’s Guidelines for Closing a Psychology Practice (2020), a professional executor:

Answer 123

C. may be a licensed psychologist or other licensed health provider.

Question 124

Dr. Wilson is hired by the court to evaluate the mental competence of a man who has been charged as an accomplice in a bank robbery that ended in the death of a bank employee. During a break, the man brags to Dr. Wilson about his role in the bank robbery. To be consistent with ethical requirements, Dr. Wilson should:

Answer 124

B. provide the court only with information she obtains that is relevant to the man’s mental competence.

Question 125

“Quid pro quo” sexual harassment:

Answer 125

B. involves a demand for sexual favors in exchange for job benefits.

Question 126

During his third therapy session, a client tells his therapist that he’s HIV positive. He also says that he engaged in unsafe sex with three partners after receiving his test results 18 months ago but is no longer doing so. The 1976 Tarasoff decision:

Answer 126

D. does not apply in this situation and the appropriate actions for the therapist and client depend on state or provincial laws.

Question 127

Which of the following is identified as a “paramount goal” of supervision in the ASPPB’s Supervision Guidelines for Education and Training Leading to Licensure as a Health Service Provider?

Answer 127

B. protecting the public

Question 128

Six months after the death of your client, you receive a letter from his adult daughter requesting information about his diagnosis and treatment. To be consistent with ethical requirements, you:

Answer 128

D. provide the daughter with the information she has requested after obtaining authorization from the client’s executor or other legally authorized representative.

Question 129

At the request of the editor of a professional journal, a psychologist is reviewing a research paper that has been submitted to the journal for publication. The psychologist is impressed with the research and wants to apply some of the unique ideas and procedures presented in the paper to the research he is currently conducting. In this situation, the psychologist (reviewer):

Answer 129

C. cannot use the unique ideas and procedures in his own research unless he obtains permission from the paper’s authors to do so.

Question 130

You receive a written request from a colleague asking you to forward a copy of the file of a former client of yours who is now seeing him in therapy. To expedite receiving the file, the colleague asks you to send it to him as an attachment to an email. The colleague’s request is accompanied by an authorization to release information signed by the client. You should send the colleague the file as an attachment to an email:

Answer 130

C. only if you are able to remove all information that identifies the client from the electronic copy of the file.

Question 131

Dr. Cho has been seeing Mr. and Mrs. Giovanni in therapy for four months. Mr. Giovanni is an insurance salesman and Mrs. Giovanni works part-time for a residential cleaning service company. Mr. Giovanni is suddenly laid off from his job and they ask if Mrs. Giovanni can exchange home cleaning services for therapy until Mr. Giovanni finds another job. Agreeing to this arrangement would be:

Answer 131

unethical

Question 132

You administered several tests to a client as part of your initial assessment and he is asking to see his scores. To be consistent with the requirements of the ethics codes published by the American and Canadian Psychological Associations, you should:

Answer 132

C. provide the scores to him unless you believe that doing so might cause him substantial harm.

Question 133

Which of the following best describes ethical requirements regarding the use of automated and other professional test scoring and interpretation services?

Answer 133

D. Psychologists may use these services but the psychologists are responsible for the appropriate application, interpretation, and use of tests.

Question 134

Which of the following is true about privilege?

Answer 134

D. It can be claimed and waived by the client and the client’s legal representative and claimed by the therapist on behalf of the client.

Question 135

After her sixth therapy session with Rusty R., Dr. Berstein realizes that she’s attracted to him and that, between sessions, she sometimes thinks about what it would be like to spend time with him outside of therapy. As an ethical psychologist, Dr. Berstein should:

Answer 135

B. obtain professional consultation to determine the best course of action.

Question 136

A newly licensed psychologist finds that some of her clients are dealing with a high level of stress, and she encourages them to get a therapeutic massage between therapy sessions to alleviate physical tension. If they ask her for a referral, she gives them the business card of her husband, who’s a licensed massage therapist. This is:

Answer 136

D. unacceptable because doing so violates ethical prohibitions against engaging in situations that create a conflict of interest.

Question 137

Dr. Barry Bull advertised his two-hour workshop for licensed psychologists as a “hands-on experience administering and scoring neuropsychological tests.” However, during the workshop, he only shows videos that demonstrate how to administer and score the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and three other frequently used neuropsychological tests. In terms of ethical requirements, Dr. Bull has acted:

Answer 137

B. unethically because his advertisement did not accurately describe his workshop.

Question 138

Which of the following best describes ethical requirements for bartering psychological services for goods or services?

Answer 138

B. Bartering may be acceptable as long as it’s unlikely to harm or exploit the client.

Question 139

Dr. Liu, a licensed psychologist, is asked by a local television station if she would be interested in participating in a 10-minute segment every week during the Monday morning news show. The station would like her to present a four- to five-minute summary of a different mental health issue each week and then respond to emails and calls from viewers for the remaining time. If Dr. Liu accepts the offer to participate in the program, she:

Answer 139

B. will have acted unethically unless she makes sure that viewers understand that her responses to their emails and calls do not establish a therapeutic relationship.

Question 140

Dr. Schneider’s new clients are a single mother and her two daughters, ages 13 and 15. The family moved to the United States from Venezuela six years ago and they were referred to therapy by the high school counselor because the girls are having problems with their peers and teachers. Although both daughters are fluent in English, the mother is not, and the oldest daughter has volunteered to translate for her mother since Dr. Schneider does not speak Spanish. Having the daughter act as a translator:

Answer 140

is not acceptable

Question 141

Simultaneous submission of a manuscript for publication to different journals is:

Answer 141

unacceptable

Question 142

The APA’s (2014) Guidelines for Clinical Supervision in Health Service Psychology identifies which of the following as a supervisor’s primary legal and ethical obligation?

Answer 142

D. protecting the welfare of the supervisee’s client

Question 143

Which of the following best describes ethical requirements regarding debriefing research participants about the nature and results of a research study?

Answer 143

B. Participants should ordinarily be debriefed as soon as possible but, in some cases, debriefing may not be necessary.

Question 144

At an APA convention, you run into a colleague who worked at the mental health clinic where you work until she quit a few months ago. She tells you she’s now providing therapy over the Internet and gives you her business card. Several weeks later, you find her card in your wallet and decide to take a look at her website. When you do, you notice that the site seems to provide some inaccurate information about her professional experience. You should:

Answer 144

C. contact the psychologist to discuss her possible violation of ethical requirements.

Question 145

You receive a request from the Ethics Committee to provide it with certain confidential information about a former client of yours who has filed an ethics complaint against her current therapist. You should provide the Committee:

Answer 145

D. with the requested information only after confirming the client has signed an authorization to release information.

Question 146

When a parent, insurance company, or other third party is no longer willing to pay a client’s fee for therapy and the client is unable to pay the full fee him/herself, a psychologist should do which of the following to be consistent with ethical requirements?

Answer 146

C. provide pretermination counseling and referrals to alternative services

Question 146

Routinely waiving the insurance co-payments of therapy clients is acceptable:

Answer 146

A. only when the insurance company has approved of this arrangement.

Question 147

Requiring psychology students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs to participate in individual or group therapy may be acceptable if:

Answer 147

B. students are allowed to select providers from mental health professionals not affiliated with the program.

Question 148

To be consistent with ethical requirements, psychologists should reach an agreement with new clients about fees and other financial issues:

Answer 148

D. as early as is feasible.

Question 149

When providing psychotherapy to employees through their company’s employee assistance program (EAP), psychologists should let the employees know that:

Answer 149

A. they will not release any confidential information to the employees’ supervisors without the employees’ authorization to do so.

Question 150

Which of the following best describes the provisions of the ethics codes of the American and Canadian Psychological Associations regarding sexual relationships with students?

Answer 150

A. Sexual relationships with students over whom psychologists have evaluative authority are prohibited.

Question 151

You receive a letter from a former client’s current therapist asking you to fax confidential information about the client’s treatment. The request is accompanied by a signed authorization for release of information from the client. You should:

Answer 151

C. fax the requested information to the therapist after ensuring that all information that identifies the client has been removed.

Question 152

A psychologist is conducting clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment for children, ages 9 to 12 years, who have received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder with comorbid symptoms of acute stress disorder. Before administering the intervention to each child, the psychologist must obtain consent from the child’s legal guardian(s) and:

Answer 152

D. assent from the child unless assent is waived on capacity grounds or grounds of direct benefit to the child.

Question 153

Open access refers to making digitally distributed research articles available for free to readers, with publication costs being covered by means other than subscriptions. Open access is most consistent with which of the following General Principles contained in the APA’s Ethics Code?

Answer 153

Justice

Question 154

Which of the following best describes ethical guidelines for using obsolete tests and test results?

Answer 154

A. Psychologists may use obsolete tests and test results in certain circumstances.

Question 155

The ASPPB’s E.Passport is:

Answer 155

A. a requirement for providing telepsychology services across jurisdictional lines.

Question 156

The goal of APA accreditation is best described as:

Answer 156

B. protecting the wellbeing of the public and the interests of students.

Question 157

The goal of APA accreditation is best described as:

Answer 157

B. protecting the wellbeing of the public and the interests of students.

Question 158

Dr. King realizes that his new client is someone he had a sexual relationship with five years ago while he was in graduate school. The relationship lasted only a few months and ended when they agreed it would be best if they started dating other people. As an ethical psychologist, Dr. King should:

Answer 158

D. refer the client to another therapist.

Question 159

To be consistent with the requirements of the APA Ethics Code and the Canadian Code of Ethics, the potential limits of confidentiality should ordinarily be discussed with a therapy client:

Answer 159

D. at the outset of therapy and subsequently as needed.

Question 160

As described in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (2014):

Answer 160

A. test accommodations and modifications should be documented in test reports.

Question 161

A psychologist’s manuscript describing his dissertation research was accepted for publication by a journal. When the article is published, the psychologist discovers an error in the description of the results of his statistical analysis of the data. According to the ethics codes published by the American and Canadian Psychological Associations, the psychologist is:

Answer 161

B. required to take action to correct the error.

Question 162

Which of the following is not required for a malpractice claim?

Answer 162

C. intent to harm

Question 163

To be consistent with ethical guidelines when conducting research, psychologists:

Answer 163

C. should ordinarily debrief research participants immediately after their participation but, when that isn’t possible, should take steps to reduce the risk for harm.

Question 164

With regard to ethical requirements, which of the following is true about referral fees?

Answer 164

D. They are acceptable as long as they’re for the actual services provided by the person who made the referral.

Question 165

To be consistent with the requirements of the APA Ethics Code, when a psychologist believes it is in a client’s best interests to terminate therapy because the client is no longer benefitting from it, the psychologist should provide the client with pretermination counseling and:

Answer 165

B. referrals as appropriate.

Question 166

As a favor to another psychology professor, Dr. Oliver requires students in his Psychology 101 class to participate in the professor’s research project. In terms of the requirements of the APA Ethics Code and the Canadian Code of Ethics, Dr. Oliver’s requirement is:

Answer 166

C. acceptable only if students are given the choice of participating in the study or completing an alternative assignment.

Question 167

Dr. Renee Rochester has been hired to conduct a court-ordered evaluation of Terrance Tillis, the defendant in a criminal court case. To be consistent with the provisions of the APA’s Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology (2013), Dr. Rochester:

Answer 167

C. does not have to obtain informed consent from the defendant but should tell him about the nature of the services being provided and the limits of confidentiality.

Question 168

In his dissertation proposal, a graduate student uses the organization and headings used by the author of a published journal article and uses arguments and data presented by that author and the author of another published article on the same topic to justify his study’s hypotheses. He cites both authors once in the introductory paragraph to his proposal. In terms of ethical requirements, this is:

Answer 168

D. unacceptable since the graduate student has not given adequate credit to the other authors.

Question 169

Medical malpractice is an unintentional tort that involves which of the following?

Answer 169

C. negligence

Question 170

Which of the following best describes a psychologist’s ethical obligations with regard to the use of automated test scoring and interpretation services?

Answer 170

A. Psychologists who use these services are responsible for the validity of the conclusions they derive from them.

Question 171

Sonia was in therapy with Dr. Benedict for three weeks when Dr. Benedict told her that he thinks she would benefit from a psychological evaluation to help determine why she is suddenly having so much trouble performing her job as a software developer. Dr. Benedict refers Sonia to Dr. Sholen who has extensive experience in psychological testing. At the end of her second session with Dr. Sholen, Sonia says she’d like to continue seeing her for therapy in addition to seeing Dr. Benedict. To be consistent with ethical requirements, Dr. Sholen should:

Answer 171

C. discuss this further with Sonia to determine the best course of action.

Question 172

Dr. Watson, a newly licensed psychologist, is having trouble determining the appropriate diagnosis for a new client and decides to consult with a more experienced colleague. To be consistent with ethical requirements, Dr. Watson:

Answer 172

D. does not have to obtain the client’s authorization as long as he’s able to disguise the client’s identity while consulting with the colleague.

Question 173

A recently divorced psychologist joins an online dating service that matches him to a former therapy client. When deciding what to do in this situation, the psychologist should remember that ethical guidelines:

Answer 173

C. prohibit psychologists from becoming sexually involved with former clients unless certain conditions are met.

Question 174

Which of the following best describes ethical guidelines regarding the use of automated scoring and interpretation services?

Answer 174

B. Use of automated services is acceptable as long as they have adequate evidence of their validity and other psychometric properties.

Question 175

Vicarious liability refers to which of the following?

Answer 175

A. an employer’s legal responsibility for the acts of his/her employees

Question 176

A psychologist pays the local newspaper to insert a weekly “canned column” as an advertisement for her professional services. Each column poses a different question asked by a client about a mental health issue and includes a response to the question. The column also provides information about the psychologist’s services and contact information. In terms of ethical guidelines, this is:

Answer 176

C. ethical as long as the columns are clearly identified as paid advertisements.

Question 177

Which of the following best describes the frequency of the insanity defense and acquittals?

Answer 177

A. It’s raised in less than 1% of all felony cases and leads to acquittal only about 25% of the time.

Question 178

Dr. Jackson earned a Ph.D in clinical psychology from St. Louis University seven years ago and now has a private practice and teaches undergraduate psychology classes as an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. On the business cards for her clinical practice, Dr. Jackson lists St. Louis University and the University of Illinois. In terms of ethical guidelines, listing the University of Illinois is:

Answer 178

D. not acceptable since her affiliation with the University of Illinois is not relevant to her clinical practice.

Question 179

Which of the following best describes ethical guidelines for soliciting client testimonials to be used by psychologists in advertisements for their professional services?

Answer 179

B. Psychologists are prohibited from soliciting testimonials from current clients and, in some circumstances, former clients.

Question 180

The Introduction and Applicability section of the APA Ethics Code states that APA may take action against a member not only when a complaint has been filed against him or her but also when a member:

Answer 180

B. has been expelled or suspended from an affiliated state psychological association or convicted of a felony.

Question 181

You’ve just moved to a new town and want to “drum up” business for your private practice. As an ethical psychologist, you will keep in mind that in-person solicitation of business:

Answer 181

C. may be acceptable if it’s uninvited as long as it does not target people who are vulnerable to undue influence.

Question 182

As described by Shneidman (1994), the purpose of a psychological autopsy is to:

Answer 182

B. clarify the manner of death when the manner is equivocal.

Question 183

One of Dr. Honesta’s current clients has filed a complaint against her with the Ethics Committee, which has requested that she provide the Committee with client information related to the cause of the complaint. Dr. Honesta believes the client’s complaint is baseless and is a manifestation of the client’s resistance to therapy. Dr. Honesta should:

Answer 183

C. provide the Committee with the information it has requested after confirming that the client has signed an authorization to release the information.

Question 184

The parents of 10-year-old Corey bring him to therapy at the recommendation of his school counselor who is concerned about his increasing oppositional behavior and failing grades. You decide that you will initially see Corey in individual therapy. To be consistent with ethical requirements you will do which of the following?

Answer 184

A. obtain written consent from Corey’s parents and verbal assent from Corey as soon as possible

Question 185

During your second session with Anita A., she says she wants to tell you something she hasn’t told anyone else. After a few moments of silence, she reveals that she’s been seeing another therapist for three months but started seeing you because she’s concerned about his behavior. She tells you that, in her last few sessions with that therapist, he touched her inappropriately and said he was doing so to help her deal with her fear of physical and sexual intimacy. As an ethical psychologist, you should:

Answer 185

C. explain to Anita the seriousness of her allegation and discuss the options she has in this situation.

Question 186

Dr. Shadid, a licensed psychologist, has a private clinical practice and teaches and conducts research at a large university. Dr. Shadid routinely administers cognitive ability and personality tests to many of his clients as part of his initial assessment and plans to also use the results of tests administered to therapy clients in his research study. In terms of ethical requirements, use of the test results in the research study is:

Answer 186

A. acceptable as long as he obtains informed consent from the clients for use of the assessment results for both therapy and research.

Question 187

Which of the following descriptions of research participants is consistent with guidelines provided in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association?

Answer 187

D. participants with personality disorders

Question 188

A graduate program in clinical psychology requires first-year students to participate in individual therapy. With regard to the requirements of the APA Ethics Code and the Canadian Code of Ethics, this is:

Answer 188

acceptable as long as there are no multiple relationships between the students and the therapists

Question 189

Dr. Higashi believes she can obtain more useful data if she deceives research participants about certain aspects of her study. As an ethical psychologist, Dr. Higashi should keep in mind that use of deception in research:

Answer 189

B. may be acceptable when alternative procedures are not available and subjects are informed about the deception “as early as is feasible.”

Question 190

The APA Commission on Accreditation (APA-CoA) accredits:

Answer 190

D. graduate programs, doctoral internships, and postdoctoral residencies.

Question 191

Dr. Soltis is having difficulty determining the appropriate diagnosis and treatment for a 72-year-old client who has symptoms consistent with several disorders. He decides to consult with a colleague who works primarily with older adults. When doing so, Dr. Soltis should keep in mind that:

Answer 191

C. he does not need to get authorization from the client as long as he’s able to avoid disclosing the client’s identity to the consultant.

Question 192

You receive a letter from a former client’s attorney requesting that you provide her with information from the client’s file, including the actual items from two projective tests, the client’s responses to those items, and the client’s test scores. The letter is accompanied by an authorization to release information signed by the client who is being represented by the attorney in a criminal case. As an ethical psychologist, you will send the attorney:

Answer 192

B. the client’s responses to the test items and test scores only.

Question 193

To be consistent with ethical requirements, you should discuss fees and other financial matters with therapy clients:

Answer 193

D. as early as feasible.

Question 194

A graduate student recently completed a research study and simultaneously submitted the article he wrote about the study to three APA journals. This is:

Answer 194

unacceptable

Question 195

Dr. Robinson, a licensed psychologist who specializes in treating eating disorders, decides to offer a 90-minute presentation for parents on detecting and treating eating disorders in children and adolescents. In the advertisement for the presentation, Dr. Robinson describes it as a “lecture on the early identification of eating disorders in children and adolescents and treatment options.” There’s a good turnout for the lecture but, at the end of the first 45 minutes, only two parents have asked questions and Dr. Robinson notes that many attendees seem bored. She decides to “liven up” her presentation by having attendees describe their personal experiences with eating disorders. With regard to the requirements of the APA Ethics Code and the Canadian Code of Ethics, this change in format is:

Answer 195

D. unethical because she advertised her presentation as a “lecture.”

Question 196

Dr. Bharara, a licensed psychologist, saw Mr. and Mrs. D’Andrea and their two children in therapy for four months before the parents suddenly decided to get a divorce and stopped coming to therapy. One month later, Dr. Bharara receives a phone call from Mrs. D’Andrea who asks if he would be willing to conduct a custody evaluation of the children. As an ethical psychologist, Dr. Bharara:

Answer 196

D. should not agree to do so and provide Mrs. D’Andrea with an appropriate referral.

Question 197

You have been hired by the parent company of a national chain of toy stores to evaluate applicants for managerial positions. During your interview with a 35-year-old applicant, she mentions that she and her husband have two children and that she had an abortion before she got married. When reporting the results of your evaluation of this applicant to the company, you:

Answer 197

D. do not include information about the applicant’s abortion in your report.

Question 198

Interjurisdictional telesupervision occurs when a supervisor who resides in one state, province, or country provides supervision to an intern who is temporarily or permanently residing in a different state, province, or country via phone, videoconferencing, or other telecommunication technology. The ASPPB Supervision Guidelines for Education and Training Leading to Licensure as a Health Service Psychologist:

Answer 198

B. prohibits interjurisdictional telesupervision except in emergency situations.

Question 199

Which of the following statements best describes the requirements of the ethics codes published by the American and Canadian Psychological Associations for informed consents?

Answer 199

D. Informed consents may be written or verbal but should be documented.

Question 200

You have just moved to Springfield and, to build your private practice, you plan to contact several psychologists in the Springfield area whom you met at a recent APA convention and offer them a fee for referring clients to you. With regard to ethical requirements, this is:

Answer 200

C. acceptable only if the fee represents the psychologists’ actual costs for referring the clients to you.

Question 201

Dr. Valdez has been seeing Betsy R. in therapy for several months and believes she is no longer making any progress. When Dr. Valdez discusses this with Betsy, she says she thinks “therapy is going really well” and wants to continue. To be consistent with ethical requirements, Dr. Valdez should:

Answer 201

A. work with Betsy to identify specific goals for future sessions and, if none can be identified, provide pretermination counseling.

Question 202

Marsha comes to her first therapy session 10 minutes late. She’s disheveled, seems very nervous, and says she doesn’t “really want to be here” but her roommate insisted it was a good idea. When you begin taking notes, Marsha says she doesn’t want you to keep a record of her sessions. As an ethical psychologist, you should:

Answer 202

C. discuss her concerns and tell her that you need to keep a record of her sessions and explain your reasons for doing so.

Question 203

Dr. Liu is the only therapist in his community who specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders. He receives a call from Susan S. who wants to begin therapy with him to deal with the anxiety attacks she started having after receiving a big promotion at work several weeks ago. Dr. Liu and Susan had a brief sexual relationship in graduate school five years ago. Their relationship ended amicably and they have not seen each other in over three years. If Dr. Liu accepts Susan as a client:

Answer 203

D. he will have acted unethically.

Question 204

Dr. Swenson, a licensed psychologist, has just started working at an inner-city clinic. He soon realizes that some of his clients have problems he has not previously encountered and that he’s likely to continue encountering these problems. As an ethical psychologist, Dr. Swenson should:

Answer 204

B. see the clients in therapy but seek consultation with a colleague who has relevant experience.

Question 205

Which of the following best describes ethical requirements regarding the use of deception in research studies that may subject participants to pain?

Answer 205

B. Deception is never acceptable when a study’s procedures may cause participants physical pain or severe emotional distress.

Question 206

A psychology intern has just started his geriatric rotation at a state hospital. After two weeks, he tells his supervisor that he’s having trouble with this rotation because his grandmother just received a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and most of the patients he’s seeing have the same diagnosis. The supervisor has noticed that the intern’s performance in the geriatric rotation is not up to his excellent performance in his other rotations. The best course of action for the supervisor is to:

Answer 206

A. transfer the intern to another rotation.

Question 207

You have been seeing Ramona in therapy for four weeks and, at the beginning of her current session, she tells you her ex-boyfriend is threatening to physically harm you because he blames you for her unwillingness to get back together with him. You know from what Ramona has told you about her ex-boyfriend that he has a history of violent behavior and that you should take his threat seriously. To be consistent with ethical requirements, you:

Answer 207

D. may terminate therapy with Ramona with or without providing her with pretermination counseling and a referral.

Question 208

A post-doctoral student is writing an article on the research study she has just completed. She has decided to list one of the professors in her department as the principal author when she submits the article to a prestigious journal because the professor is well-known and highly respected, and the student thinks that listing him as the principal author will help ensure the article is accepted for publication. Although the student consulted with the professor two or three times while working on her project, the professor made no other contributions to it. With regard to ethical guidelines, this is:

Answer 208

unacceptable

Question 209

A psychologist who is providing individual therapy to inmates of an adult correctional facility is told by one of the inmates during a therapy session that he is very angry at another inmate and intends to physically harm him. The psychologist knows that the inmate (his client) has a history of violent behavior. The psychologist should:

Answer 209

C. inform the appropriate prison official of the inmate’s intent.

Question 210

Which of the following would be the most acceptable way for psychologists to deal with negative reviews of their services posted by former clients on customer websites?

Answer 210

A. collecting and posting patient-satisfaction ratings on their professional websites

Question 211

To serve as an expert witness in a court case, a psychologist must be:

Answer 211

B. determined to be qualified to do so by the judge.

Question 212

You receive a request for information about a former client of yours from the APA’s Ethics Committee which it needs for its investigation of a complaint the client has filed against you. You:

Answer 212

C. must cooperate with the request as long as the client has signed an authorization to release confidential information.

Question 213

For articles published in APA journals, psychologists must retain their data for:

Answer 213

B. at least 5 years following the date of publication.

Question 214

To be consistent with ethical requirements, psychologists must claim as credentials for their mental health services:

Answer 214

D. only degrees from regionally accredited educational institutions or that were the basis for their psychology licensure.

Question 215

Which of the following best describes ethical requirements regarding a psychologist’s use of animals as subjects in a research study?

Answer 215

C. Psychologists may use animal subjects in research that may cause the animals pain or stress when alternative nonpainful and nonstressful procedures are unavailable and use of animals is justified by the potential value of the research.

Question 216

Psychologists delivering mental health services in military settings should keep in mind that members of the military:

Answer 216

C. should be informed at the beginning of therapy about the military’s disclosure policies that affect confidentiality.

Question 217

A psychologist is conducting clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment for children, ages 9 to 12 years, who have received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder with comorbid symptoms of acute stress disorder. Before administering the intervention to each child, the psychologist must obtain consent from the child’s legal guardian(s) and:

Answer 217

D. assent from the child unless assent is waived on capacity grounds or grounds of direct benefit to the child.

Question 218

A graduate student recently completed a research study and simultaneously submitted the article he wrote about the study to three APA journals. This is:

Answer 218

unacceptable

Question 219

A psychologist’s new clients are a married couple and their two sons, ages 11 and 16. The family moved to the United States from Mexico five years ago and, while the boys are fluent English-speakers, the parents have limited English skills. The psychologist does not speak Spanish, and the oldest son offers to be an interpreter for his parents. He also says that his aunt (who will not be participating in therapy) would be willing to act as an interpreter. To be consistent with ethical requirements, the psychologist should:

Answer 219

D. not have the son or aunt act as interpreter.

Question 220

When a psychologist is providing therapy to an employee through an employee assistance program (EAP), the psychologist:

Answer 220

A. must not provide information to the employee’s supervisor without authorization from the employee whether the employee’s participation is the result of a self-referral or referral from the supervisor.

Question 221

Dr. Devlin terminates the internship of one of her interns when she receives a complaint about him from one of his current clients. With regard to ethical requirements, this is acceptable as long as:

Answer 221

C. the client’s complaint is valid and Dr. Devlin has previously provided the intern with feedback about his performance.

Question 222

Which of the following is not one of the required conditions for a claim of malpractice against a psychologist?

Answer 222

D. The psychologist knew or should have known the professional services he/she provided would cause harm to the client.

Question 223

Stoltenberg and McNeill’s (2010) integrated developmental model (IDM) of supervision describes a supervisee’s stages of development in terms of three characteristics. Which of the following is not one of these characteristics?

Answer 223

competency

Question 224

To ensure she obtains a sufficient number of volunteers for her research, Dr. Turay offers volunteers a gift card to the local restaurant of their choice. With regard to ethical guidelines, this is:

Answer 224

D. acceptable as long as a gift card is not likely to coerce participation.

Question 225

Toward the end of her third date with Cedric, Dr. Sheldon realizes that Cedric is the brother of one of her therapy clients. Dr. Sheldon is very attracted to Cedric, wants to continue dating him, and thinks they might have a future together. To be consistent with ethical requirements, Dr. Sheldon:

Answer 225

A. will continue dating Cedric only if he’s the brother of a former (not current) client of hers.

Question 226

Many of Dr. Israel’s therapy clients are employed in low-paying jobs, and she routinely waives their insurance co-payments. With regard to ethical requirements, this practice is:

Answer 226

D. acceptable only if the insurance companies have agreed to this arrangement.

Question 227

Which of the following best describes ethical requirements about authorship credit for research articles substantially based on a student’s doctoral dissertation?

Answer 227

C. The student should be listed as principal author except in exceptional circumstances.