APA Ethics vs. University Core Values: A Comparative Study

Introduction

In today's world, most organizations — whether associations of professionals, schools, or non-profit organizations — have codes of conduct or statements of ethical principles. The purpose of such statements is to articulate in writing, leaving no question unanswered, what is expected of those who identify as part of that organization. These statements also exist to prevent problems that arise from misunderstandings about ethical responsibilities. Furthermore, today's economy is a global one, and ethics and morals are not entirely objective matters — they reflect a person's culture, religion, society, and other background elements. Organizations must therefore articulate their ethics statements clearly in order to account for differences in understanding among people from diverse backgrounds.

This paper compares the ethical statements of two organizations — the American Psychological Association and a Christian university — suggesting how organizations draft ethical statements based on their particular needs and backgrounds.

APA General Principles

The American Psychological Association's (APA) 2002 Ethical Principles, which replaced the previous principles written in 1992, contain guidelines specifying how psychologists are expected to conduct themselves. The principles cover professional standards and expectations related to conflicts of interest, fees, registration, and similar matters, as well as broader ethical and moral concerns, such as doing good rather than harm and exercising one's influence responsibly. The ethical principles are divided into two major parts: general principles and ethical standards.

According to the APA, general principles are quite different from ethical standards. While ethical standards are specific, carefully spelled-out requirements for professional psychologists, the general principles are meant to encourage psychologists to aspire to even higher standards than those specified in the ethical standards section. As such, general principles are not used to evaluate psychologists, and a violation of these principles would not necessarily result in formal consequences.

The general principles cover five major areas. First, psychologists are required to do good and not harm. The principles acknowledge that psychologists hold positions of influence and must be careful not to affect their patients negatively. Second, in the same vein, psychologists are recognized as persons of influence in their communities and are expected to maintain a positive public image, refraining from conduct that could negatively influence others. Third, psychologists are expected to be honest and to demonstrate integrity in both their professional and personal lives — they are not to lie, steal, or cheat, and should represent themselves honestly at all times. They are also expected to be responsible and reliable: keeping commitments, maintaining communication, and striving not to disappoint those who depend on them. Fourth, psychologists are expected to act fairly in both personal and professional dealings. Fifth, they are expected to respect people, understand their rights, and refrain from demonstrating any biases.

As these principles make clear, psychologists are held to a high standard in both their personal and professional lives. No person could easily maintain all of these requirements at all times, but psychologists are expected to strive toward them.

APA Ethical Standards

The APA's ethical standards, unlike the general principles, must be maintained for psychologists to keep their practice in good standing. First, psychologists are required to perform their work appropriately, comply with all legal and ethics board requirements, report any violations, and refrain from being dishonest in their reports of misconduct or in their dealings with those who have reported misconduct.

In addition, the standards stipulate that psychologists must not work in areas in which they lack adequate knowledge, must not work with patients with whom they have personal conflicts, and must not refuse service to those who genuinely need it. In their interactions with patients, psychologists must avoid discrimination, harassment, or otherwise harmful conduct, while also ensuring they do not enter into other relationships with patients that could compromise the professional relationship. The psychologist is also required to extend certain courtesies to patients — for example, arranging alternative resources in the event of an emergency that renders the psychologist unavailable. Other required courtesies include respecting patient privacy, being honest with patients and with professional organizations, maintaining proper records, and keeping organized and responsible payment and fee policies.

While the foregoing requirements primarily concern the therapist-patient relationship, psychologists also frequently work in academic settings, publishing and teaching. In this role, psychologists must respect their students by presenting relevant material, maintaining accurate syllabi, working with students to ensure feedback and options for required therapy, and refraining from sexual relationships with students. As researchers, psychologists must ensure that no harm comes to their research subjects and must strive for accuracy in their research and reporting. For instance, psychologist-researchers must not plagiarize, must assign credit appropriately, and must not knowingly report inaccurate results. Psychologists who review others' work are to do so without bias toward the author. Similar requirements apply to psychologists who use assessments with patients: they must use reliable methods, report results correctly, and protect patient privacy.

Thus, the APA's ethical standards address the three major roles psychologists may occupy — therapist, teacher, and researcher — making it a comprehensive professional code of conduct.

References

American Psychological Association. (2002). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Retrieved January 11, 2009, from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code2002.html