Ethical Standards and Codes
Ethical Standards and Codes
Stephenie Carter, Sundee Johnson, Saroja Nimmagadda, Selma Pasagic
University of Phoenix
Ethical Standards and Codes
Ethics to some is an intuition of what is right or wrong, and to others it is right or wrong defined by laws, rules, codes, or culture standards. Ethical standards and codes are essential in the professional world, especially in a clinical setting. Ethics guide reactions and interactions from which ethical decisions are made. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of ethical standards and codes in the field of psychology by defining ethical standards and codes, analyzing the impact of societal norms, evaluating the influence of the APA’s ethical standards and codes on professional practice, and explaining the importance of professional ethical standards and codes.
Standards and Codes
Ethical standards initiate the foundation of what is right or wrong. So what are ethics? According to Resnik (2010) “the most common way of defining ethics are norms for conduct that distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behavior but could also be defined as the disciplines that study standards of conduct or a method, procedure, or prospective for deciding how to act, analyze problems and issues”. The ethical norms for conduct formulate standards and codes of expected behaviors. According to Levy, (1974) “codes of ethics are at once the highest and lowest standard of practice expected of a practitioner, the awesome statement of rigid requirements, and the promotional material issued primarily for public relations purposes. They embody the gradually evolved essence of moral expectations, as well as the arbitrarily prepared shortcut to professional prestige and status”. The need for a moral perspective that provides professionals with the means to deal with practical problems results in the establishment of codes of ethics. Ethical standards and codes are based on a collective group of norms for acceptable
Stephenie Carter, Sundee Johnson, Saroja Nimmagadda, Selma Pasagic
University of Phoenix
Ethical Standards and Codes
Ethics to some is an intuition of what is right or wrong, and to others it is right or wrong defined by laws, rules, codes, or culture standards. Ethical standards and codes are essential in the professional world, especially in a clinical setting. Ethics guide reactions and interactions from which ethical decisions are made. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of ethical standards and codes in the field of psychology by defining ethical standards and codes, analyzing the impact of societal norms, evaluating the influence of the APA’s ethical standards and codes on professional practice, and explaining the importance of professional ethical standards and codes.
Standards and Codes
Ethical standards initiate the foundation of what is right or wrong. So what are ethics? According to Resnik (2010) “the most common way of defining ethics are norms for conduct that distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behavior but could also be defined as the disciplines that study standards of conduct or a method, procedure, or prospective for deciding how to act, analyze problems and issues”. The ethical norms for conduct formulate standards and codes of expected behaviors. According to Levy, (1974) “codes of ethics are at once the highest and lowest standard of practice expected of a practitioner, the awesome statement of rigid requirements, and the promotional material issued primarily for public relations purposes. They embody the gradually evolved essence of moral expectations, as well as the arbitrarily prepared shortcut to professional prestige and status”. The need for a moral perspective that provides professionals with the means to deal with practical problems results in the establishment of codes of ethics. Ethical standards and codes are based on a collective group of norms for acceptable
References: American Psychological Association. (2011). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code Bartolomei. K. (2010). What is the Basis for a Code of Ethics? Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/facts_6375979_basis-code-ethics_.html Ethical standards for psychology: Section 2--Ethical standards in professional relationships; Section 4--Ethical standards in research; Section 5--Ethical standards in writing and publishing. (1951). American Psychologist, 6(8), 427-452. doi:10.1037/h0057702 Fisher, C.B. (2003). Multiple relationships and the new apa ethics code. Retrieved from http://www.division42.org/IPfiles/IPFall03/prof_practice/multiple.html Pope, K. and Vasquez, M. (2010) Ethics in psychotherapy and counseling: A practical guide (4th ed) Hoboken: NJ John Wiley & Sons Inc. Resnik, D. B. (2010) What is Ethics in Research & Why is It Important? National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). . Retrieved from http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research