How Ethics Differ in Research and Therapeutic Practice [WLO: 2] [CLO: 2]Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read Chapter 4 of the textbook and the
APA’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of ConductLinks to an external site. in its
entirety, paying special attention to Standards 8 and 10 that cover ethics in research and
therapeutic practice. Oftentimes research methods courses discuss the ethics of research and
focus on historic examples of unethical research studies. This discussion of ethics will involve
a different focus. The Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct presents
information on ethical standards and expectations that apply to specific situations, including
therapy and research.
For this discussion,
•
•
•
•
Explain the differences between the ethical standards for clients being treated by
psychologists in counseling sessions and the standards for conducting psychological
research with human participants.
Describe the parts of the Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct you expect to relate
directly to your future career. Include the section numbers of the parts of the code you
discuss.
Select and provide the number for one ethical requirement that applies specifically to
psychological research and briefly summarize the standard.
Explain why this requirement may not apply to a therapy situation.
What I need done:
Guided Response: Review several of your colleagues’ posts and respond to at least two of
your peers who selected a different ethical requirement than you by 11:59 p.m. on Day 7 of
the week. You are encouraged to post your required replies earlier in the week to promote
more meaningful interactive discourse in this discussion.
As you formulate your responses, answer the following questions:
•
•
•
•
•
Did your colleague provide a thorough explanation of the differences between the ethical
requirements for research versus those for therapeutic practice?
What differences did your colleague note that you did not list in your initial post?
Considering the future career your colleague mentioned, did they correctly describe the
parts of the APA code that would directly relate to that career path?
What suggestions might you make to your colleague in terms of ethical standards that
would apply to this career path?
Do you concur with your colleague’s choice of ethical standard that applies specifically to
psychological research?
If so, why? If not, what standards might you suggest your colleague consider that
apply specifically to research?
Did your colleague provide a convincing explanation as to why this standard would not
apply to therapeutic practice?
Can you think of additional explanations for why this requirement may not apply to a
therapy situation?
o
•
•
Student one:
Christine Figueroa
ThursdayMay 18 at 5:07pm
Manage Discussion Entry
In research one must inform the participant ahead of time about all aspects of the
research so that they can decide if they would like to participate. Also, one is not supposed
to be deceptive in any way regarding any aspect of the research. When a psychologist is
rendering therapy, it is a little different as there is not as clear of a projected path. In
therapy the psychologist is supposed to get informed consent to the therapy from the
patient and inform the patient of the nature and anticipated course of the therapy along
with the limits of confidentiality. (American Psychological Association, 2017)
All parts of the Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct are required to be followed
as a psychologist. It is the patient’s right as stated above to know what type of therapy they
are receiving and the anticipated course along with the limits of confidentiality. All people
have different levels in their lives that affect them and bring them to therapy to begin with.
If they feel safe with a psychologist, they may disclose things that they have never brought
themselves to say to anyone at all. Without actually knowing where the limits are they may
not say as much as they want to, or they may say too much. Either of these options can
jeopardize their healing process and trust in the psychologist to begin with. The
confidentiality aspect is very important and is what I would relate directly to any future
career in psychology.
8.05 for Dispensing with Informed consent for Research is an aspect that needs to be
highly valued. If the patient is unaware of where the information is going there can be a big
problem. They may have consented to the research, but if they do not know where it is going
then there may be a lot of misunderstanding and the psychologist will be jeopardizing the
patient and the research. A patient needs to know as 8.05 states, where the research won’t
cause harm, the studies and methods and settings for the research, any questionnaires be
they anonymous or otherwise or be they simply observations, the factors related to the
organization and any permits by law (American Psychological Association, 2017).
The requirements of research do not always align with therapy sessions. Some
reasons are that confidentiality aspects of research are different from therapy. Most things in
therapy are confidential. Whereas in research, although it is often anonymous, there are
details that are shared for certain purposes. In therapy the information is not dispensed the
way research is. And the approach that is taken is much different, patients know for research
that it is research and they will feel different disclosing various aspects of themselves.
References
American Psychological Association. (2017, March). Ethical principles of psychologists and
code of conductLinks to an external site.Links to an external site. (2002, amended effective
June 1, 2010, and January 1, 2017). https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index
Student Two:
Melissa Berrien
Comparing the ethics involved in facilitating therapy with those involving conducting
research on human participants, the findings reveal many similarities, coupled with a few
variances. At the foundation of both tasks, informed consent is required as outlined in the
Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. The differences in ethical
responsibilities as a psychologist is conveyed in a few ways. The American Psychological
Association (2017, Standard 8a) states that researchers have the responsibility to disclose
participant’s right to decline or withdraw from research once participation has begun. Under
the framework of therapy, participants may not have the right to decline participation,
therefore under section (10b), it states that voluntary participation may be subject to limits.
Additionally, according to Crewel & Creswell (2018) psychologists have the responsibility to
design a reputable proposal, which includes succinct details of the nature of the research
techniques and procedures, which isn’t always possible when conducting therapy. As a
result, Standard 10b states that counseling psychologists have the responsibility of briefing
patients on the developing nature of treatment.
As explained previously, depending on the nature of practice, psychologists will adhere to
the ethical principles that related to their practice. Personally, the Design of Education and
Training Programs section resonates, as it is aligned with my career centered around
education and psychology. Section 7.02, Descriptions of Education and Training Programs is
a fraction of the foundation of curriculum development, and assuring the description of a
course is accurate, readable, detailed and accessible is important to all reputable curricula.
Section 7.03, Accuracy in Teaching ensures that psychologists in education and training
adhere to the authenticity standards as it relates to the content of the course; evaluations,
and the possibility of modifications to name a few. Finally, section 7.06, Assessing Student
and Supervisee Performance, explains the responsibility of psychologists in academic setting
are not only expected to provide feedback to participants, but to do so in a timely manner.
Finally, section 8.06 of the Research and Publication relates to offering financial or other
non-monetary inducements in excess to influence participation. This requirement does not
apply to therapy as therapists are solicited for their services by individuals, and organization,
or other third parties.
American Psychological Association. (2017, March). Ethical principles of psychologists and
code of conductLinks to an external site. Links to an external site. (2002,
amended
effective June 1, 2010, and January 1,
2017). https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/indexLinks to an external site.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and
mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE.
The full-text version of this ebook is available through the RedShelf platform
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
