[1] The need for such a document came after psychologists were taking on more professional and public roles post-World War II.
[1] A committee was developed and reviewed situations submitted by psychologists in the field who felt they had encountered ethical dilemmas.
For instance, although the APA takes an explicit stance against conversion therapy,[3] this treatment remains controversial amongst many psychologists and religious groups and is still being practiced by some.
[5] The APA has also been implicated in helping the Central Intelligence Agency to continue "enhanced interrogation techniques" of detainees under the Bush administration.
This presented an obvious violation of the organization's code of ethics and has been addressed by the APA in the form of reports, responses to media outlets, amendments to policies, and rejections of the allegations.
[6] The introduction of the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct is designed to describe the document's purpose.
[2] The introduction states that the code applies to psychologists' scientific, educational, and professional roles, that may include "clinical psychology; counseling psychology; school psychology; research; teaching; supervision; public service; policy development; social intervention; development of assessment instruments; conducting assessments; educational counseling; organizational counseling; forensic activities; program design and evaluation; and administration," (pg.
It provides information on the procedures for filing an ethical complaint, along with a description the investigation process and possible outcomes.
[2] The preamble is a description of aspirations which the American Psychological Association expects of psychologists, and reviews the main purpose for having such an ethical code.
Psychologists are bound to the community by way of their profession and must conduct themselves in a responsible and ethical manner while also maintaining a similar check on colleagues.
Furthermore, psychologists should prevent unjust practices by remaining aware of their biases, level of competence, and area and limits of expertise.
This entails awareness of the vulnerabilities experienced by any particular population of people and necessitates understanding of and respect for diversity, including, but not limited to, factors concerning gender, race, religion, disability, and socioeconomic status.
Any violation of an ethical standard may result in sanctions ranging from termination of APA membership to loss of licensure.
If a psychologist feels that he/she has not been trained to ensure competence in a specific area to treat a client, he/she should make an appropriate referral.
This standard also provides the psychologist with a basis from which to make scientific and professional judgment in an ethically consistent manner.
In certain situations where the safety of the patient or others is at risk, confidentiality must be broken as law enforcement needs to be motivated.
This section begins by outlining how to avoid false and deceptive statements, in specific of one's level of competence.
[citation needed] The section closes by outlining how to ethically navigate situations of in-person solicitation of services.
In an event of an emergency, psychologists are not allowed to withhold records of clients who have failed to make payments.
Psychologists are also expected to maintain and provide accurate reports of treatment, funding, and diagnostic details.
However, studies which are not expected to cause any harm, such as observing in a naturalistic environment, using anonymous questionnaires, or if permitted by the law, informed consent may not be necessary to be obtained.
Psychologists are responsible for reporting accurate findings and taking necessary steps to correct any errors in research and publication.
Psychologists are also required to only present original data as their work and share publication credits based on the contributions rather than authority.
Psychologists are also expected to be willing to share research data when required for verification, and maintain confidentiality of the participants during the review process.
Psychologists are required to be appropriately trained in order to administer assessments and are responsible for using current tests.
The therapy section of the APA ethical standards is broadly written to guide psychologists through various aspects of providing psychological services.
[7] The committee was created because psychologists were becoming more involved in professional activities and public works during and following World War II.
[1] The first version of the Ethical Standards of Psychologists was adopted in 1952 and published in 1953 by the American Psychological Association (APA).
[8] The first version contained many ethical dilemmas that psychologists had written about and submitted to the first committee as case examples.
Each revision has been guided by a set of objectives put forth by Hobbs in 1948: "to express the best ethical practices in the field as judged by a large representative sample of members of the APA; to reflect an explicit value system as well as clearly articulated decisional and behavioral rules; to be applicable to the full range of activities and role relationships encountered in the work of psychologists; to have the broadest possible participation among psychologists in its development and revisions; and to influence the ethical conduct of psychologists by meriting widespread identification and acceptance among members of the discipline".