Jean L. Pettifor

The Universal Declaration of Ethical Principles for Psychologists: A Culture-Sensitive Model for Creating and Reviewing a Code of Ethics

Psychologists live in a globalizing world where traditional boundaries are fading and, therefore, increasingly work with persons from diverse cultural backgrounds. The Universal Declaration of Ethical Principles for Psychologists provides a moral framework of universally acceptable ethical principles based on shared human values across cultures. The application of its moral framework in developing codes of ethics and reviewing current codes may help psychologists to respond ethically in a rapidly changing world. In this article, a model is presented to demonstrate how to use the Universal Declaration as a guide for creating or reviewing a code of ethics. This model may assist psychologists in various parts of the world in establishing codes of ethics that will promote global understanding and cooperation while respecting cultural differences. The article describes the steps involved in the application of the model and provides concrete examples as well as several useful comments and suggestions. This guide for the application of the Universal Declaration may also be used for consultation, education, and training relative to the Universal Declaration of Ethical Principles for Psychologists.

Ethics: virtue and politics in the science and practice of psychology.

The discipline of psychology is moving beyond the myth of detached neutrality to discover virtue and to recognize politics as forces which determine ethical behaviour. Humankind has struggled over the centuries to discover the nature of good and evil and to define the rightness and wrongness of human behaviour. Psychology has a short history in formalizing codes of ethics and codes of conduct. Current and historical events, concepts and values, including those based on philosophy and religion, have influenced the development of psychologys scientific and professional codes. The ethical behaviour of psychologists may be inspired by values, regulated by rules, determined by external pressures, or any combination of these. Emerging issues and challenges in todays changing and turbulent society require an incorporation of moral principles in finding acceptable strategies to achieve acceptable goals. May virtue and politics go hand in hand in creating a better world.

Professional Ethics Across National Boundaries

The International Union of Psychological Science is searching for ethical principles that are universal for the discipline of psychology. Codes of ethics adopted by other international organizations are reviewed, as well as recent comparisons of psychology codes across national boundaries. Distinctions are made between declarations of human rights and professional codes of ethics, between ethical principles as overarching values and as rules of conduct, and between Euro-North American and non-Western cultural values. Organizations such as the United Nations and Amnesty International work for the elimination of abuses of human rights. Professional associations establish guidelines to promote the ethical behavior of their members. The hope for articulating universal ethical principles for psychologists is based on respect for our common humanity while still respecting the diversity of beliefs in different cultures.

Psychologists' perceptions of ethically troubling incidents across international borders

This article provided a brief history of the development of codes of ethics for psychologists and the desire for a universal code. It reviewed recent studies on ethical dilemmas reported by psychologists in nine primarily Western countries: United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Finland, Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, South Africa, and Mexico. The Pope and Vetter (1992) model was used to ask psychologists for an ethically troubling incident encountered over the previous year. The combined data of a total of 2698 responses revealed that issues of confidentiality followed by dual relationships were the most frequent. There was considerable agreement on the nature of ethical dilemmas in the countries represented. There are limitations in reviewing studies based on reports in the public arena without access to the original data. Sample sizes were small and it is not known to what extent there was a lack of standardization in the methodology and analysis of responses. However, these studies were of practical val...

Fair and Ethical Student Assessment Practices

Debates surrounding the assessment of students often focus on the methods related to information gathering and how we report this in a meaningful and “fair” way to all stakeholders. “Best practices” guidelines are very relevant to guiding our thinking about these core issues. However, we further contend that “ethical practices” are also necessary if we are to fully define the assessment process and comprehensively address the fundamental issues that have created such divergent views on student assessment. Rather than being prescriptive, two frameworks that outline best and ethical practices are presented with the encouragement that educators reopen the dialogue that will reflect a more comprehensive view of the “who, what, where, when, and why” of student assessment.

The Canadian Code of Ethics and the Prescription Privilege Debate

The appearance of the prescription privileges debate in a recent issue of Canadian Psychology presents an opportunity to examine prescription privileges from a Canadian perspective. The principles of the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists (CCE) were applied to a number of key arguments offered in the debate and were found useful in evaluating their application to the Canadian context. The ethical principles provided direction in examining the full range of prescription privilege issues. The CCE may prove to be a valuable guide in providing a moral framework for the eventual development of Canadian policy on prescription privileges for psychologists.

School Psychology: How Universal Are Ethical Principles Approved by International Associations?.

Globalization is a dominant issue in all aspects of business and professional activities in the 21 st Century. The International School Psychology Association and the International Test Commission have adopted ethics and competency guidelines to raise the standards of practice for their members. Other international organizations are doing likewise. Challenges exist in accommodating values related to the individualism, democracy, secularism, science, and wealth of western societies with the collectivism, authoritarianism, theocracy, folklore, and scarcity of resources of many developing countries. The first approach may be to acknowledge values based on common humanity rather than to define culturally specific behaviours. Vignettes are provided against which school psychologists may evaluate the utility of current ethical guidelines.

Serving Children with HIV/AIDS in Canadian Public Schools: An Interpretation of the CPA Guidelines for Non-Discriminatory Practice

As a result of recent advances in HIVIAIDS treatments, the near future will bring a significantly increased number of children either infected with - or affected by - HIV/AIDS into public schools in Canada. In order to help the psychologist and other professionals involved in the education of children, we have interpreted the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Guidelines for Non-Discriminatory Practice in this context. As with the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists (CPA, 1991) the general principles of the Guidelines for Non-Discriminatory Practice include: I. Respect for the Dignity of Persons, II. Responsible Caring, III. Integrity in Relationships, and IV Responsibility to Society. In addition, we have included practical vignettes in the hope of stimulating continued dialogue.