Final Paper
A defining feature of psychology and ethics is the element of “the unknown” within the field. From the diverse clientele, to the variety of issues psychologists are constantly exposed to, there is no concrete approach towards providing effective treatment for a client seeking counsel. It is undeniable that a large majority of psychologists’ work is dependent on their personal clinical judgment. What does exist, however, is a code of ethical guidelines that helps psychologist navigate through the obstacles in their career. While ethics is an extremely valuable tool to individuals in the field, it can also be a source of conflict (Fisher, 2013). With being a psychologist …show more content…
Teen is a practicing psychologist within a school setting, she must be particularly careful with her responsibility to protect the privacy and confidentiality of her students. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 outlines several laws in order to promise students’ privacy within school settings (Fisher, 2013). Specifically, FERPA provides certain rights to parents of students that are ultimately transferred to students when they reach 18 years. Such rights include the inability to disclose a student’s educational record without written permission from the parent or the eligible student (Fisher, 2013). In addition to the diverse guidelines Dr. Teen must adhere to under the ethics code, it is crucial that Dr. Teen is additionally aware of implications such as FERPA that impact her job and professional …show more content…
Hobbs refers to psychology as, “a complex field where individual and social values are yet but ill defined…” (Fisher, 2013). He compares the field to a game, in which must be “played fairly” and “must be given direction and consistency by the rules of the game.” Though an individual’s values may be ill defined, it is a psychologist’s responsibility to use these ethical standards as a tool to navigate through the “game” of psychology. As the case of Dr. Teen demonstrates, this responsibility proves challenging in more ways than one. Yet, one theme remains prominent throughout every ethical guideline: the notion of beneficence and nonmaleficence. Above all, a psychologist’s greatest obligation is that of “striving to do good and doing no harm” when dealing with patients (Fisher,