Psychologists today must deal with a broad range of ethical issues--from charging fees to maintaining a client's confidentiality, and from conducting research to respecting clients, colleagues, and students. As the field of psychology has grown in size and scope, the role of ethics has become more important and complex whether the psychologist is involved in teaching, counseling, research, or practice. Now this most widely read and cited ethics text in psychology has been revised to reflect the ethics questions and dilemmas that psychologists encounter in their everyday work. Ethics in Psychology has been completely updated in response to evolving trends in psychological research and practice, as well as extensive changes in the American Psychological Association's ethics code. Gerald P. Koocher and Patricia Keith-Spiegel take a practical, commonsense approach to ethics in modern-day psychological practice, and offer constructive suggestions for both preventing problems and resolving ethical predicaments. In this book, their main intent is to present the full range of contemporary ethical issues in psychology as not only relevant and intriguing, but also as integral and unavoidable aspects of the profession. The authors make extensive use of actual case studies in order to illustrate how the APA guidelines apply to specific situations, such as fee setting, advertising for clients, research ethics, sexual attraction, classroom ethics, managed care issues, confidentiality, and much more. The most recent ethics code of the American Psychological Association (1992) is used here only as a starting point. The authors go well beyond the APA code and incorporate the input of many experts. In addition to the analysis of a wide variety of general situations, new problematic areas are identified and explored. The book includes two appendixes - Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, adopted by American Psychological Association, Rules and Procedures of the Ethics Committee of the American Psychological Association - both in an easy-to-use format. In addition, each chapter lists summary guidelines along with current and valuable references. Highly readable, the book unites a straightforward, lively writing style with humorous anecdotes that highlight the human side of ethics and make the book a pleasure to read. Ethics in Psychology will be an indispensable guide to ethical decision-making for all psychologists and students in psychology.

"This is a "classic-in-the-making;" that is a must-have reference for the learning (and teaching) of psychological ethics." --Metapsychology

"Written by highly distinguished psychologists who have each served on the Ethics Committee of the American Psychological Association, this book clearly reflects the authors' expertise, integrity, and common sense in dealing with ethical issues. . . . From cover to cover, it is at once humorous and sobering, and in the jargon of popular literature, a page turner."--APA Division 37 Newsletter (on the first edition)

"This comprehensive and well-written discussion of ethical issues relevant to the practice of psychology would be a valuable resource for graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and professionals in many related disciplines."--Science BooksandFilms

Gerald P. Koocher is Associate Professor of Psychology and Executive Director of the Linda Pollin Institute at Harvard Medical School and Chief Psychologist at Boston's Children's Hospital. Patricia Keith-Spiegel is Voran Distinguished Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Director of the Center for the Teaching of Integrity at Ball State University.

1. On Being an Ethical Psychologist

Introduction

How Ethical Problems Arise

Preventing and Avoiding Unethical Behavior

Informal Peer Monitoring

2. Enforcement of Ethical Conduct

Ethics Codes

Enforcement Options

Ethics Committees

Who Complains Against Psychologists?

Dispositions and Levels of Sanctions Available to Ethics Committees

Who Tumbles Through the Cracks?

3. Knowing Thyself: Competence and Credentials

Conceptual Issues

Training Issues

Credentialing Issues

Licensing

Maintaining Personal Competence

New Practice Domains

The Sick Doctor

Psychologists as Teachers and Researchers

Summary Guidelines

4. Ethical Obligations in Psychotherapy

Ethical Obligations of Psychotherapists

Special Obligations of the Therapist

Summary Guidelines

5. Ethics in Psychotherapy: Techniques

Therapies Involving Multiple Clients

Special Techniques and Issues

Untested or Fringe Therapies

Summary Guidelines

6. Privacy, Confidentiality, and Record Keeping

The Problem of Definitions

Limitations and Expectations

Access to Records

Taking Advantage of Confidential Information

Confidential Material in the Classroom and Laboratory

Record Content Retention and Disposition

Summary Guidelines

7. Psychological Assessment: Testing Tribulations

Varieties of Tests

Key Concepts in Tests and Measurements

Primary Reference Sources

Test Adequacy

User Competence

The Testing Industry

Use of Test Results

Summary Guidelines

8. Multiple Role Relationships and Conflicts of Interest

The Battle Over Boundaries

Evaluating Multiple Role Relationships

Risks of Role Blending and Conflicts of Interest

Types of Multiple Role Relationships

Unexpected Conflicts and Overlaps

Watching for Red Flags

Summary Guidelines

9. Attraction, Romance, and Sexual Intimacies

Attraction and Touching

Romancing and Casually Dating Clients

Sexually Intimate Behavior with Psychotherapy Clients

Characteristics of Psychologists who Engage in Sexual Relations with Clients

Risks to Therapists

Posttermination Sexual Relationships with Clients

Treating Sexual Abuse by Previous Therapists

Delivering Psychotherapy to Former Lovers

Sexual Relationships with "Significant Others" of Psychotherapy Clients

Risks to Students and Their Professors and Supervisors

Summary Guidelines

10. Money Matters and Managed Care

What to Charge?

Fee Splitting

Third-Party Relationships

Fraud

Bill Collecting

Managed Care

Summary Guidelines

11. Psychologists in the Marketplace

Historical Issues

The Nature of Restrictions on Advertisements

The 1992 APA Ethics Code

Elements Allowed in Advertising

Unacceptable Advertising

Summary Guidelines

12. Presenting Psychology to the Public

Psychology's Fractured Public Image

Mass Media Portrayals of Psychology and Psychologists

Socially Responsible (and Irresponsible) Public Acts

Summary Guidelines

13. Relationships with Colleagues, Supervisees, and Employees

Peer and Interprofessional Relationships

Relationships with Supervisees and Employees

Risky Situations

Risky Individuals

Summary Guidelines

14. Ethical Dilemmas in Specific Work Settings: Juggling Porcupines

Basic Considerations

Sample Settings

Summary and Guidelines

15. Psychologists in the Legal System: Tort and Retort

The Culture Gap Between Psychologists and Lawyers

The Forensic Expert

Psychologists as Defendants

16. Psychologists as Teachers: Classroom Conundrums

Advertising and Student Contracts

Evaluations of Students

Exploitation of Students

Telling Students' Stories

Advising and Mentoring Tangles

Other Self-Serving Issues Not Directly Involving Students

Summary and Guidelines

17. Scholarly Publication and Research Ethics

Scholarly Publishing Issues and Abuses

Research Issues

Summary Guidelines

Appendix A: American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct

Introduction

General Principles

Ethical Standards

Appendix B: Rules and Procedures of the American Psychological Association Ethics Committee

Overview

Adoption and Application

Part I. Objectives and Authority of the Committee

Part II. Operating Rules

Part III. Membership

Part IV. Show Cause Procedures Based upon Actions by Other Recognized Tribunals

Part V. Complaints Alleging Violation of the Ethics Code

Index