Showing papers on "Professional ethics published in 1997"

A theory of ethics for forensic psychiatry

Abstract: This article offers a justification for a set of principles that constitute the ethical underpinnings of forensic psychiatry. Like professional ethics in general, the principles are based on the particular societal functions performed by forensic psychiatrists and result in the intensification of obligations to promote certain important moral values. For forensic psychiatrists, the primary value of their work is to advance the interests of justice. The two principles on which that effort rests are truth-telling and respect for persons. In the same manner as other physicians who perform functions outside of the usual clinical context (e.g., clinical researchers), forensic psychiatrists cannot simply rely on general medical ethics, embedded as they are in the doctor-patient relationship--which is absent in the forensic setting. Indeed, efforts to retain some residuum of that relationship and its associated ethical principles are likely to create confusion in the minds of both forensic psychiatrists and their evaluees and to heighten the problems of double agency. A virtue of this approach is the clear distinction it offers between clinical and forensic roles.

Ethics in Counseling and Psychotherapy : Standards, Research, and Emerging Issues

Abstract: This book's philosophy is to equip students with the resources they need to deal effectively with the complex ethical and legal issues they will confront in practice. The author does this effectively by providing material that expands the students learning beyond the content of the professional codes of ethics to include knowledge of the more important scholarly writings in the field and by examining emerging ethical issues. The cases and discussion included in the book address very difficult ethics cases and show a ten-step model for analyzing those cases.

Psychological Testing in South Africa: Perspectives Regarding Ethical and Fair Practices

Abstract: It is argued in this paper that the practice of psychological testing in South Africa needs to be understood in terms of the impact that past apartheid political policies have had on test development and use. I first reflect on the past and then present and discuss current issues that threaten the fair and ethical use of tests. Finally, I propose two ways of enhancing the ethical use of tests in South Africa, that is, the development of a Code of Fair Testing Practice as well as a national test development agenda.

Ethics in Government: From a Winter of Despair to a Spring of Hope

Abstract: The issue of ethics in public service is as old as government itself. Yet "post-Watergate morality" has produced an enduring and unprecedented level of concern about the integrity of democratic governance (Garment, 1991). In the 1990s alone, the continuous stream of revelations, allegations, and investigations--involving presidents, presidential advisors, a U.S. Senator, a Speaker of the House of Representatives, a Ways and, Means Committee chairman, cabinet secretaries, a Supreme Court nominee, Gulf War syndrome spokesmen, campaign contributors, and numerous state and local official--suggests that this concern is unlikely to change any time soon. Nonetheless, this may be a Dickensian "tale of two cities": when there is despair, there also may be hope. Indeed, ethical considerations can hardly be overlooked in a time of popular reforms that attempt to transform the public service ethos in the name of productivity (Gore, 1993). They are of fundamental importance to the quality of democracy and its administration. "Questions of morality and right conduct," Jeremy Plant (1997) points out, "are now considered as significant as the traditional concerns of Wilsonian Public Administration" like efficiency. Driven by the increase in public attention (Adams, et al., 1993) and the recognition of the underlying importance of ethical conduct in government (Thompson, 1992), there have been several national ethics conferences (Park City, 1991; Tampa, 1995; St. Louis, 1996), a recently revised workbook (Mertins et al., 1994; also see Lewis, 1991), a case book (Pasquerella, et al., 1996), and a new journal (Public Integrity Annual 1996). In addition) much of the writing in the field has been codified (Madsen and Shafritz, 1992 and Richter, et al., 1990; also see Bowman, 1991; Frederickson, 1993; Cooper, 1994; Cooper and Wright, 1994; Reynolds, 1995). In the context of these events, the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA) promulgated its newly-revamped code of ethics in 1995. The association's Professional Ethics Committee subsequently requested that a membership survey, based on the senior author's 1989 survey of the same organization (Bowman, 1990), be conducted to obtain an initial assessment of the effectiveness of the code. This was especially propitious timing because the intervening years witnessed the passing of the Decade of Greed and the coming of the Decade of Reinventing Government, a period of turbulent change that has included innovations, downsizing, and, as noted, scandals at all levels of government. A questionnaire (consisting of agree-disagree statements as well as several multiple choice and open-ended items), with a copy of the ASPA Code of Ethics, was mailed in spring 1996 to a random sample of 750 administrators who are members of the society. Usable replies were received from 59 percent of those contacted, a respectable response rate for this methodology and one comparable to earlier research.(1) A profile of the respondents, which matches the ASPA practitioner membership, reveals a group that is predominantly white, male, well educated, experienced in local government, a middle or senior level manager, relatively high income, moderate to liberal in political philosophy, and holds at least a six-year membership in ASPA.(2) The results explore three topics in ascending order of emphasis: perceptions regarding ethics in society and government, the nature of integrity in public agencies, and ASPAs Code. The implications of the data, and the part that a professional organization can play to enhance honorable behavior, are then examined. Ethics in Society Several questions probed respondents' perceptions of ethical concerns in the nation. The findings indicate that these administrators do not believe that contemporary interest in morality is ephemeral. Most (83 percent) reject the claim that "The current concern of American society with ethics in government is a passing fad" (10 percent agree; the balance are undecided). …

A model for ethical management of faculty—Student dual relationships.

Abstract: The article discusses the nature of faculty-student dual relationships and provides guidelines for their ethical management. Three general guidelines for faculty in maintaining ethical relationships with students are (a) acknowledging the power and responsibility of the faculty role, (b) developing a frame for evaluating faculty-student relationships, and (c) fostering and maintaining a climate that supports ethical relationships with students. As a profession, psychologists should be discussing this issue more openly, and research on problematic faculty-student relationships and their management is warranted. Awareness of dilemmas concerning dual-role relationships and experience in addressing these dilemmas may provide valuable lessons for the student's future professional interactions with clients, students, and other professionals.

The Virtues in the Moral Education of Nurses: Florence Nightingale Revisited

Abstract: The virtues have been a neglected aspect of morality; only recently has reference been made to their place in professional ethics. Unfashionable as Florence Nightingale is, it is nonetheless worth noting that she was instrumental in continuing the Aristotelian tradition of being concerned with the moral character of persons. Nurses who came under Nightingale's sphere of influence were expected to develop certain exemplary habits of behaviour. A corollary can be drawn with the current UK professional body: nurses are expected to behave in certain ways and to display particular kinds of disposition. The difference lies in the fact that, while Nightingale was clear about the need for moral education, current emphasis is placed on ethical theory and ethical decision-making.

The Cultural Context of the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics

Abstract: The American Counseling Association code of ethics was constructed in a particular cultural context and reflects the assumptions of that context. Beginning with a discussion of the purposes served by ethical codes, I review 3 patterns of implicit assumptions: (a) examples of implicit cultural bias, (b) examples of cultural encapsulation, and (c) examples favoring the dominant culture. Positive recommendations for developing more inclusionary ethical guidelines are discussed on the basis of case examples and the consequences of good or bad ethical practice. The need to make underlying philosophical and cultural assumptions explicit in the Preamble to the code of ethics is clarified.

Professional Ethics Code Conflict Situations: Ethical and Value Orientation of Collegiate Accounting Students

Abstract: Public accounting in the United States is generally guided by the Code of Professional Conduct of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). It has been suggested that education in understanding and accepting their ethical code would increase accountants’ adherence and ethicality.

Classification of dual relationships in the helping professions.

Abstract: A classification system of dual relationships is presented. Dual relationships are conceptualized as not being inherently harmful or unethical. Options available to persons involved in dual relationships are discussed.

Toward a Hermeneutic Model of Ethical Decision Making in Clinical Practice

Abstract: Documented ethical violations and empirical research have demonstrated that, despite professional standards and formal training in ethical principles, some psychotherapists engage in unethical behaviors that compromise the welfare of clients. It appears that competing values and interests that emerge in the therapeutic endeavor can interfere with therapists' considerations of ethical standards and their willingness to act ethically. Expanding current models of ethical decision making, this article offers a hermeneutic model that recognizes that in addition to moral reasoning, the context of the therapeutic relationship and the therapist's subjective responses are fundamental considerations in the interpretation and application of ethical interventions. Implications for understanding and training of ethics in psychotherapy in this broader context are explored.

Hedgehogs, Foxes, and the Evolving Social Contract in Psychological Science: Ethical Challenges and Methodological Opportunities

Abstract: This article is addressed primarily to new researchers who feel burdened by an expanding body of ethical rules and regulations. Moral dilemmas proliferate as researchers try to strike a balance between ethical accountability and the technical demands of scientific practices. The challenge is to expand existing knowledge and abide by an evolving social contract that is responsive to current ethical sensitivities. This article illustrates dilemmas faced by researchers, examines some of the events leading up to the present situation, and shows how researchers might exploit this situation so that science and society can both benefit.

Values in Flux: Administrative Ethics and the Hong Kong Public Servant

Abstract: The ethical orientations of senior civil servants in Hong Kong are examined using survey datafrom a sample of279 officials involved in advanced training and university professional training programs. These public officials were found to identify strongly with the classical ideal constituted by administrative neutrality, loyalty to hierarchy, and respect for organizational rules. However, indications of more assertive personal values independent of the organization were discovered. This erosion of neutrality is characterized by espousal of liberal values such as fairness, equality, justice, honesty, integrity, human dignity, and individual freedom. The extent to which these values reflect a latent professional ethic as an autonomous basis for moral judgment and conduct remains unclear Although at present these administrators experience little incongruence between the rules and norms of the organization and their liberal values, whenever presented with a hypothetical conflict they tend to optfor loyalty to ...

Ethical Dilemmas of Psychologists — A Swedish Example in an International Perspective

Abstract: The Swedish Psychological Association is, like the inter- national psychological community as a whole, commit- ted to ethical issues in the professional conduct of its members. The discussion on the professional conduct of psychologists will probably never cease, since new chal- lenges and difficulties in psychologists' work, which are of interest to us all, are continuously arising. At least two reasons for this commitment can be given. The first is the welfare of the patients or clients who receive help from professionals — the moral-philosophical perspective — and the other is the welfare of the profession — the so- ciological perspective. The analysis outlined here fol- lows directly from those perspectives, and holds good not just for psychologists but for other professions too.

Heroes as a Context for Teaching Ethics

Abstract: Various external pressures from accrediting and regulatory bodies emphasize the importance of teaching ethics in business and accounting curricula. Traditional approaches to teaching ethics in accounting include philosophy-based approaches with case studies, critiques of unethical behavior, and study of the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct (1992). In the present study, a method that makes ethical behavior salient to the students is described. The study of ethics is introduced with an assignment that requires each student to identify his or her personal hero. The hero then serves as a personal model for ethical behavior in the formal study of professional ethics. Evidence suggests that heroes may be proxies for an individual's personal value system, externalizing a moral code that can be referred to time and again. Although presented here in an accounting context, the heroes approach is transferable to all business disciplines.

Ethics in Finance II

Abstract: The best way to approach professional ethics, whether in the finance profession or elsewhere, is from the perspective of virtue-ethics theory. This theory places particular emphasis on the character and motivations of an individual professional and on the organizational community in which the individual acts. This article extends and clarifies the central argument of an earlier article on financial ethics. Several real-world examples illustrate the role of virtue ethics in professionalism.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a multicultural counseling ethics and assessment training.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a training program designed to enhance the multicultural competence of practicing rehabilitation counselors in the areas of ethical and assessment issues. To assess these areas, the Multicultural Counseling Ethics and Assessment Competency Scale (MCEACS) was developed as a part of the study. The MCEACS in its final form was a 17-item scale that demonstrated high internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of .92. Furthermore, it demonstrated a moderate relationship with the Multicultural Awareness, Knowledge, and Skills Survey (MAKSS) and was sensitive to counselor change as a pre- and post-test measure. Results of the evaluation of the multicultural training program indicated consistent positive changes from pre- to post-tests. It is evident that even a brief training can have a measurable effect on rehabilitation counselors' multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills.

The limits of tolerance : censorship and intellectual freedom in public libraries

Abstract: The relationship between the practice of public librarianship and the philosophy of intellectual freedom has been an uneasy one for a long time. The library controls access to information by the very act of selecting materials, and must, therefore, deal with censorship on a basic level. Are certain subjects, by their nature, the antithesis of community service? Professional standards give some guidance, but the attitudes brought by individual librarians to their work of book selection provide the final interpretation. Curry has surveyed a response group of practicing librarians (British and Canadian), asking provocative questions about their attitudes on materials selection. Her questions target some of the toughest questions librarians ever face; responses are presented in easy-to-understand graphs. Her analysis focuses on the factors-personal beliefs, professional ethics, political pressures-that influence responses. A final discussion covers managing the inevitable complaints from people and groups the selection policy has offended. Curry's arguments and conclusions make fascinating reading. A must for all librarians, but especially public library directors, library faculty, advocates for intellectual freedom, and policy makers at all levels.

A Teacher Education Ethics Initiative: A Collaborative Response to a Professional Need

Abstract: Clicking off your office light, briefcase in hand, you reach for the door handle when a soft voice says, `Dr. Mortimer, are you busy?' Amy stands before you looking embarrassed and distraught. `Sure, come on in.' You mentally run through the conference you had with Amy and her cooperating teacher only two hours ago. Both had said everything was going well. You had given Amy some pointers on classroom management that had seemed quite challenging for her, but the teacher had responded, `Give her time: she'll catch on.' The tears begin to flow as Amy launches into a description of Mrs. Heywood's approach. Today had been the last straw for Amy when three children had been made to stand with their noses to the wall because they did not write the subtraction tables quickly enough. All the procedures (and sometimes politics) of placing student teachers come to mind while you continue to listen to Amy who says she has been afraid to tell you and is worried that she is causing trouble. She thinks maybe she should give up teaching. Was it only yesterday that Jeff had appeared at your door saying that his counselor in liberal arts had suggested that he transfer to early childhood education? He was having academic problems, but his counselor pointed out that he is fantastic with kids. His 12 nieces and nephews love to rough house with him. Weighing his grade point average (way below your program's requirements) and considering the demand for males in the field, you told him you would get back to him in a few days. How could you say no when the dean had just discussed declining enrollment at last week's faculty meeting? What do teacher educators do in situations such as these? What guides their decisionmaking process? Many teacher educators face these or similar dilemmas. They may immediately consider the practical and political implications but often overlook the ethical principles applicable to many teacher education dilemmas. In the above scenarios, several issues fill the teacher educator's thoughts as she considers how to deal with these situations. When she thinks about Amy, she considers her ethical responsibilities to the young woman sitting in front of her; she also thinks about her role supporting the school-university partnership and her responsibility to the children in Mrs. Heywood's class. She has practical concerns. She wonders about the implications of finding a second placement for Amy at this point in the semester. Jeff's situation also raises a number of concerns. The teacher educator must examine the ethical implications of setting standards for program enrollment and put them into the context of accepted professional standards of practice. Her practical concern about the need to maintain and increase enrollment complicates matters. She must confront the dilemma created when she recommends admitting an unqualified student who may compromise the right of all children to a knowledgeable teacher. In cases like these, teacher educators' reliance on core values and principles of the profession, coupled with their own beliefs and ideals and those of their concrete moral communities (Nash, 1991), forms the bases for their ethical decisions. Such issues raise perplexing ethical dilemmas for teacher educators lacking a specific statement of professional ethics to guide their behaviors. Three professional organizations, the Association of Associate Degree Early Childhood Educators (ACCESS), the Division of Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC), and the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE), have joined together to identify and address specific ethical issues of significance to teacher educators. In this article, we discuss professional ethics in teacher education and note the particular challenges for teacher educators, specifically early childhood teacher educators, in addressing professional ethics. …

Ethics and eco-ethics

Abstract: 'Why is there so little reference in Marine Ecology Progress Series to the staggering problems that modern humanity encounters? Have ecologists nothing to say about ethics?' These questions have been asked by people at the steering wheels into the future. Of course, ecologists have, time and again, warned decision makers, journalists and the general public that there is something awfully wrong with the way modern industrial societies behave. Apparently, this has not been enough. What we must do is this: document and explain the significance of ecological research with regard to ethics wherever the results bear directly on policymaking and public interests, and involve appropriate sectors of society accordingly. It is time to enlarge the classic anthropocentric concepts of ethics to include eco-ethics, i.e. to ask not only what is good or bad in human societies but also what is good or bad for the total system 'humanity plus nature'. Such a modern ethical concept weighs human behavior against its value for reconciling human needs with the needs of natural ecosystems-the cradle and basis of life on earth. Prompted by the questions quoted above, this Editorial addresses some theological and philosophical views of ethics and then turns to ecological views, outlining the principal theses of eco-ethics.

Moral Crisis, Professionals and Ethical Education

Abstract: Western civilization has probably reached an impasse, expressed as a crisis on all fronts: economic, technological, environmental and political. This is experienced on the cultural level as a moral crisis or an ethical deficit. Somehow, the means we have always assumed as being adequate to the task of achieving human welfare, health and peace, are failing us. Have we lost sight of the primacy of human ends? Governments still push for economic growth and technological advances, but many are now asking: economic growth for what, technology for what? Health care and nursing are caught up in the same inversion of human priorities. Professionals, such as nurses and midwives, need to take on social responsibilities and a collective civic voice, and play their part in a moral regeneration of society. This involves carrying civic rights and duties into the workplace.

Navigators and captains: expertise in clinical ethics consultation.

Abstract: The debate about what constitutes the discipline of ethics and who qualifies as an ethics consultant is linked unavoidably to a debate that is potentiated by the reality of a rapidly changing and high-stakes health care consultation marketplace. Who we are and what we can offer to the moral gesture that is medicine is shaped by our fundamental understanding of the place of expert knowledge in the transformation of social reality. The struggle for self-definition is particularly freighted since clinical ethics consultation aspires to be more than academic contemplation. Two recent books (Ethics Consultation by John La Puma and David Schiedermayer and The Health Care Ethics Consultant: A Practical Guide, edited by Francoise Baylis) exemplify the two most popular but most widely divergent positions on these issues. We argue that while useful, neither book addresses fully the particular and distinct role of the professional ethicist.