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Ethics and Professional Issues

Terms in this set (29)

According to the APA's Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology (APA, 2012), accepting contingent fees for professional services in a legal proceeding:

A. is acceptable.
B. is acceptable only if the fees are "fair and equitable."
C. should be avoided unless doing so does not interfere with the psychologist's objectivity.
D. should ordinarily be avoided.
D. should ordinarily be avoided.

"Forensic practitioners seek to avoid undue influence that might result from financial compensation or other gains. Because of the threat to impartiality presented by the acceptance of contingent fees and associated legal prohibitions, forensic practitioners strive to avoid providing professional services on the basis of contingent fees."
A married couple's insurance provides reimbursement for individual therapy but not for marital therapy. The psychologist has determined, however, that marital therapy is the appropriate form of treatment for the couple. The psychologist should:

A. treat them in individual therapy since it is covered by the insurance.
B. bill for individual therapy while treating them as a couple.
C. appeal to the insurance company for coverage for marital therapy.
D. none of the above.
C. appeal to the insurance company for coverage for marital therapy.

The psychologist should not mislead the insurance company about the appropriate form of treatment for the couple since doing so would constitute insurance fraud.
Which of the following is generally considered the best defense for a psychologist in cases of litigation?

A. licensure
B. adequate records
C. informed consent
D. liability insurance
B. adequate records
The participants in a research study you are conducting at a university are all students in an introductory psychology class. As part of the study, you administer a test to each student that has been found to be an excellent predictor of suicide risk. You discover that one of the student's scores on the test indicate that he is at high risk for suicide. Your best initial course of action would be to:

A. contact the student's instructor immediately.
B. contact the student to suggest that he see a therapist at the counseling center.
C. discuss your concerns with the student immediately.
D. re-administer the test to the student to confirm its results.
C. discuss your concerns with the student immediately.

Immediate action is the appropriate response to situations involving a high risk for suicide.
During her third therapy session, Mrs. Maitalain, age 32, reveals that her husband has "forced her" to have sex with him two or three times in the last six months. She says that she usually agrees to have sexual relations with him but sometimes doesn't feel like it because she's too tired; and, in those circumstances, he sometimes uses threats and physical violence to force her to do so. Her therapist should:

A. inform Mrs. Maitalain that he is legally required to report these incidents to the appropriate authorities in order to protect her from future harm.
B. make a report to the appropriate authorities only if he believes that Mrs. Maitalain is at high risk for future harm from her husband.
C. maintain Mrs. Maitalains confidentiality but discuss her options in this situation.
D. encourage Mrs. Maitalain to bring her husband to the next therapy session.
C. maintain Mrs. Maitalains confidentiality but discuss her options in this situation.

Psychologists ordinarily maintain the confidentiality of a client who is the victim of spousal or partner abuse, and the primary intervention in this situation would be to ensure the safety of Mrs. Maitalain, which would include discussing her options. An exception is when there is reason to suspect that children are also at risk. Also note that some jurisdictions mandate reporting of certain types of abuse for "vulnerable adults," but there is no information given in this question that indicates that Mrs. Maitalain is a vulnerable adult.
A psychologist who obtained a Ph.D. in organizational psychology wants to change her specialty to clinical psychology. To meet the requirements of APA's guidelines regarding a change in specialty, the psychologist must:

A. complete an internship in clinical psychology under the supervision of a licensed clinical psychologist.
B. complete appropriate doctoral-level classes and supervised post-doctoral training.
C. obtain a second Ph.D. in clinical psychology from an accredited university or professional school.
D. obtain appropriate supervision of her clinical practice.
B. complete appropriate doctoral-level classes and supervised post-doctoral training.

Section 1.7 of the Specialty Guidelines states that "professional psychologists who wish to qualify as clinical psychologists meet the same requirements with respect to subject matter and professional skills that apply to doctoral and postdoctoral education and training in clinical psychology."
A former client leaves a voicemail message requesting that you send a copy of her clinical records to her new therapist. She leaves the new therapist's address and phone number. You should:

A. send the records to the therapist as requested by the client.
B. send the records to the client rather than to the therapist.
C. contact the client to clarify what information should be sent to the therapist and to obtain a verbal or written consent from the client.
D. contact the therapist to identify what information is relevant to the clients current therapy and then send that information to the therapist.
C. contact the client to clarify what information should be sent to the therapist and to obtain a verbal or written consent from the client.

You would not want to provide another professional with confidential client information unless you had discussed this with the client and obtained a signed written consent or a verbal consent (which you would document in her file).
The mother of a previous client of yours asks for a copy of her daughter's records. The daughter saw you for two years and died three months ago when she was 38. You should:

A. send the woman a copy of the records as requested.
B. send the woman only that information you believe will not be harmful.
C. allow the woman to inspect the records in your office.
D. not release any information without appropriate authorization.
D. not release any information without appropriate authorization.

Although the laws vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, in general, a psychologist should not release information after a client's death without proper authorization (e.g., from the executor of the estate or the client's legal representative).
You go out for a drink with a psychologist who is a co-worker of yours at a mental health clinic. After several beers, he accidentally lets it slip that he is currently having a sexual relationship with one of his clients. Your best course of action would be to:

A. discuss the matter with the clinic director as soon as possible.
B. discuss the issue with the psychologist when he has not been drinking.
C. make an appointment with the client to discuss the issue with her.
D. file a formal complaint against the psychologist with the Ethics Committee.
B. discuss the issue with the psychologist when he has not been drinking.

As noted in the Ethics Code, any attempt at resolving a potential ethical violation by a psychologist must include consideration of the client's confidentiality.
With regard to the care and use of animals in research, a psychologist who is the principal investigator:

A. can designate which employees or assistants are responsible for the animals.
B. can designate which employees or assistants are responsible for the animals as long as the psychologist has provided them with appropriate training.
C. is ultimately responsible for the animals him/herself.
D. shares equal responsibility for the animals with the employees and assistants.
C. is ultimately responsible for the animals him/herself.

Standard 8.09(b) states that "Psychologists trained in research methods and experienced in the care of laboratory animals supervise all procedures involving animals and are responsible for ensuring appropriate consideration of their comfort, health, and humane treatment." In light of this statement, this response is the best one.
Murphy, DeBernardo, and Shoemaker's (1998) survey of psychologists about the effects of managed care on their professional practice found that the most frequently cited negative effect was:

A. increased demands due to utilization review.
B. some panels being closed to psychologists.
C. income decline due to decreased volume of patients.
D. increased need for supervision.
A. increased demands due to utilization review.

Increased demand due to utilization review was the most frequently cited negative effect, with 87% of respondents referring to the increase in paperwork and 83% referring to the increase in phone contacts with third-party payors.
A colleague at the mental health clinic where you are employed tells you that one of his clients has admitted to sexually abusing his daughter. The colleague says he is not going to report the abuse since it was mild in nature and the client has expressed remorse, promised not to do it again, and is willing to continue therapy. In addition, he feels that reporting the abuse would be detrimental to the community since the client is a widely-known, well-respected person. You should:

A. attempt to discuss the matter further with the colleague and encourage him to make a report to the appropriate child abuse reporting authority.
B. file a complaint against the colleague with APA or the state licensing board.
C. contact the appropriate child abuse reporting authority and provide them with information about the abuse and with the colleague's name.
D. contact the appropriate child abuse reporting authority and provide them with information about the abuse but refuse to give them the colleague's name if they request it.
C. contact the appropriate child abuse reporting authority and provide them with information about the abuse and with the colleague's name.

Swenson notes that "Any required reporter who knows that another required reporter has not reported must report the evidence of abuse as well as identify the nonreporter" (p. 413).
The review process used by managed care organizations (MCOs) to ensure that providers meet and maintain the requirements to participate in a health plan is referred to as:

A. concurrent review.
B. credentialing.
C. quality management.
D. clinical audit.
B. credentialing.

Credentialing is a formal process for determining whether or not a provider meets and maintains qualification standards and provides some legal protection for the MCO.
It would be acceptable to include client testimonials in an advertisement or brochure for your services as long as:

A. the testimonials are not from current therapy clients.
B. the testimonials have not been directly solicited by you from current or past clients.
C. the testimonials are not from current clients or others who are susceptible to exploitation.
D. the testimonials have not been solicited from current clients or from others who are vulnerable to undue influence.
D. the testimonials have not been solicited from current clients or from others who are vulnerable to undue influence.

This is closest to the actual language of Standard 5.05 of the Ethics Code. Testimonials are not entirely prohibited but should be obtained and used with caution.
Except under certain conditions, psychologists are ethically obligated to maintain a client's confidentiality. Potential limitations on confidentiality should be:

A. discussed at the onset of the professional relationship.
B. discussed at the onset of the professional relationship and when feasible thereafter as needed.
C. discussed and documented in writing as soon as feasible.
D. discussed when the psychologist deems it to be appropriate.
B. discussed at the onset of the professional relationship and when feasible thereafter as needed.
An insurance company is conducting a peer review and requests that you provide it with information about a current client whose fee is being paid by the company. In this situation, you are best advised to:

A. provide the company with the requested information only if the client is willing for you to do so.
B. provide the company with only that information you believe to be pertinent to the review.
C. provide the company with relevant information after ensuring that it is aware of the need to maintain confidentiality.
D. provide the company with the requested information because the client waived confidentiality when he/she signed the insurance form.
C. provide the company with relevant information after ensuring that it is aware of the need to maintain confidentiality.

When a client's therapy fee has been paid by an insurance company, it is likely that the client has already signed a waiver on his/her insurance form. In addition, therapists are expected to cooperate with peer reviews. Therefore, this is the best response. A therapist would be required to provide information to the insurance company as requested, but the therapist should release only relevant information and should take steps to ensure that confidentiality will be safeguarded.
A 15-year old client who you have been seeing for several months says he's been thinking about killing himself. In response to your concern, he says he's "just kidding" and asks that you not tell his parents. Your best course of action would be to:

A. tell the boy that you need to contact his parents and then do so.
B. tell the boy that you won't tell his parents as long as he signs a "no suicide" contract.
C. continue to discuss the matter to determine if the boy is, in fact, at risk for suicide.
D. do nothing since he was "just kidding" but ask him about the issue during the next session.
C. continue to discuss the matter to determine if the boy is, in fact, at risk for suicide.

Suicide threats and ideation should always be taken seriously. Before notifying his parents, however, you'd want to determine how serious his thoughts about suicide are.
In the context of managed health care, "gatekeeper" refers to the:

A. peer review board.
B. HMO.
C. clinical supervisor.
D. primary care physician.
D. primary care physician.

The gatekeeper is the person who makes referrals to a psychotherapist or other specialist or the person who evaluates the individual to determine if additional care is needed. Very often, the gatekeeper is the individual's primary care physician.
An evaluation of a defendant's competence in a criminal court case is conducted to determine his/her mental status:

A. at the time of the evaluation.
B. at the time the crime was committed.
C. at the time of the arrest.
D. prior to committing the crime.
A. at the time of the evaluation.

A psychologist may be asked to evaluate a person's current mental status to determine if he/she is competent to stand trial (i.e., is able to understand court procedures and the charge against him/her).
Which of the following is most consistent with ethical requirements regarding publication credit for publications that are substantially based on a student's doctoral dissertation?

A. Authorship credit must reflect each individual's relative contribution to the research project.
B. Authorship credit must be mutually agreed upon by all individuals who contributed to the project.
C. The student must be listed as first author except under exceptional circumstances.
D. The student must always be listed as first author.
C. The student must be listed as first author except under exceptional circumstances.

Standard 8.12(c) states that "Except under exceptional circumstances, a student is listed as principal author on any multiple-authored article that is substantially based on the student's doctoral dissertation." Note that timeliness is one consideration when determining if a circumstance is "exceptional." As an example, the University of Victoria provides the following authorship guidelines for research conducted by graduate students: "If a student does not produce the first draft of the manuscript within e.g., 12 months of defending the thesis or dissertation, unless another arrangement has been negotiated in advance, the supervisor can take over the lead and be listed as the principal author. The student, however, remains an author of the article"
A 23-year old client of yours is currently the defendant in a court case. The client's attorney contacts you, requesting that you provide him with some information about the client from your files. The information will be helpful in preparing the client's defense. You:

A. release the information since, to do so, is in the "best interests of the client."
B. release the information because privilege is waived in this situation.
C. release only the information you believe is relevant to the case.
D. discuss the release with the client before taking any additional action.
D. discuss the release with the client before taking any additional action.
Dr. Nillson, a behavioral psychologist, is teaching clinical psychology at a university. She does not use, nor can she tolerate the use of, psychodynamic principles and interventions in psychotherapy. She refuses to teach psychodynamic therapy in her classes and actually makes fun of it in front of her students during informal gatherings. Her behavior is:

A. unethical she has an obligation to provide accurate and objective information about the topic she is teaching.
B. ethical she has the freedom of choice to teach whatever she wants in her classes.
C. acceptable she would be poorly trained to teach psychodynamics and psychotherapy anyway.
D. ethical but she should not be making fun of any psychological practice in front of her students.
A. unethical she has an obligation to provide accurate and objective information about the topic she is teaching.

Dr. Nillson's behavior violates Standard 7.03 of the Ethics Code, which calls for accuracy in teaching, as well as General Principle C (Integrity), which encourages "accuracy, honesty, and truthfulness."
Which of the following statements regarding sexual relationships between a therapist and a former client is most consistent with the APA'sEthics Code?

A. A sexual relationship between a therapist and a former (but not current) client is ethical.
B. A therapist may have a sexual relationship after two years have passed since termination of the therapeutic relationship.
C. A therapist may have a sexual relationship after two years have passed since termination, the circumstances of the therapy and/or termination were not exploitative, and the client's mental status and/or personal history does not show susceptibility to exploitation.
D. A sexual relationship between a therapist and a former client is always unethical.
C. A therapist may have a sexual relationship after two years have passed since termination, the circumstances of the therapy and/or termination were not exploitative, and the client's mental status and/or personal history does not show susceptibility to exploitation.

Standard 10.08(a) addresses this issue. It states: "Psychologists do not engage in sexual intimacies with former clients/patients for at least two years after cessation or termination of therapy." In addition Standard 10.08(b) states: "Psychologists do not engage in sexual intimacies with former clients/patients even after a two-year interval except in the most unusual circumstances. Psychologists who engage in such activity ... bear the burden of demonstrating that there has been no exploitation, in light of all relevant factors ...."
Dr. Dither is hired by the court to conduct an evaluation of a family as part of a child protection matter. Based on Dr. Dither's evaluation and other evidence, the court determines that the child can remain at home with his family who will be provided with supervision and counseling. Six months after the case is heard in court, Dr. Dither is contacted by the mother who says she would like to begin therapy with him for issues unrelated to the child protection matter. Dr. Dither should:

A. agree to see the woman in therapy since the child protection matter has been resolved.
B. agree to see the woman in therapy only if her problem is, in fact, unrelated to the child protection matter.
C. agree to see the woman in therapy since his familiarity with her situation will be an advantage.
D. refer the woman to a colleague.
D. refer the woman to a colleague.

This answer is most consistent with ethical guidelines that require psychologists to avoid multiple relationships. For example, Guideline 7 of the APA's Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Family Law Proceedings identifies providing psychotherapy to prior child custody examinees as a multiple relationship that should be avoided.
You receive a court order requesting that you provide information about a 19-year-old client who is currently the defendant in a court case. You discuss the request with the client but he refuses to sign a waiver of confidentiality. You should:

A. refuse to provide the court with the requested information until you obtain a waiver from the client.
B. refuse to provide the court with the requested information until you obtain a waiver from the client's attorney or legal guardian.
C. provide the court only with information that you believe will not be harmful to the client.
D. provide the court with the requested information.
D. provide the court with the requested information.

Therapist-client privilege implies that, in most circumstances, a psychologist does not reveal confidential client information in the context of a legal proceeding without the consent of the client or his/her legal representative. There are exceptions to privilege, however, and a court order is one of these exceptions. (If the information is damaging to the client, the normal procedure is to request that it be read by the judge in camera - i.e., in the privacy of the judge's chambers.)
Dr. D. Centt is conducting a study to investigate the effectiveness of a brief behavioral treatment for reducing self-mutilation in young women. The treatment involves 20 hourly sessions that will be administered once a week for 20 weeks. Dr. Centt randomly assigns 40 women with a history of self-mutilation to either the treatment group or the no-treatment control group. After women in the treatment group have completed only six sessions, he finds that the treatment has nearly eliminated their self-mutilating behaviors. In contrast, nearly all of the women in the control group report multiple incidents of self-mutilation since the study began. As an ethical psychologist, Dr. Centt's best course of action would be to:

A. continue the study as long as the women in the control group signed informed consents at the onset of their participation.
B. continue the study but offer the treatment to the women in the control group at the end of the study.
C. discontinue the study and offer the treatment to the women in the control group immediately.
D. try to get the results of the study published as soon as possible so that the effectiveness of the treatment is recognized.
C. discontinue the study and offer the treatment to the women in the control group immediately.

Kimmel concludes that, when the effectiveness of an intervention is unknown, it is acceptable to include a "no-treatment control group" in a research study. However, as soon as the treatment is shown to be effective (especially when it is effective for a serious disorder or problem), the treatment should be made immediately available to individuals in the control group.
You receive a phone call from the attorney of one of your current therapy clients. The attorney asks you to forward information from the client's file for a court case the client is currently involved in and tells you that the client has signed a release. While reviewing the client's file, you encounter a note that you made indicating that the client said he would never want you to release personal information about him under any circumstances. As an ethical psycholgist, you will:

A. contact the client to discuss the matter with him before taking any further action.
B. release only information to the attorney that you believe is relevant to the client's case.
C. release the requested information to the attorney since the client has signed a release.
D. refuse to release the records without a court order.
A. contact the client to discuss the matter with him before taking any further action.
The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) is best described as:

A. a measure of basic knowledge of psychology.
B. a predictor of job proficiency.
C. an aptitude test.
D. a way to protect the public from incompetent psychologists.
A. a measure of basic knowledge of psychology.
A psychologist has just started seeing a third grader who has been exhibiting behavioral problems at school and home. The psychologist suspects that the child has dyslexia but has had no training in the evaluation of this disorder. The child's parents want the psychologist to conduct the evaluation because of the good rapport she has with the child. The psychologist should:

A. conduct the evaluation only after informing the parents of their options and obtaining an informed consent.
B. conduct the evaluation only after attending a workshop on Learning Disorders.
C. conduct the evaluation only if available assessment instruments do not require extensive training to administer.
D. refer the child to a colleague who has experience in Learning Disorders for the evaluation.
D. refer the child to a colleague who has experience in Learning Disorders for the evaluation.

Although psychologists can (and should) add to their skills, doing so requires special care so that the welfare of a client is not jeopardized. Mislabeling a child as learning disabled (or not learning disabled) can have very serious and long-lasting consequences, so this response is the best of those given.
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