GENERAL
PAP CODE OF ETHICS
(2009) ETHICAL
STANDARDS
ENFORCEABLE STANDARDS
a. Standards for Resolving Ethical Issues
b. Standards on Competencies
c. Standards on Human Relations
d. Standards on Confidentiality
e. Standards on Advertisements and Public Statements
f. Standards on Record Keeping and Fees
g. Standards on Assessment
h. Standards on Therapy
i. Standards on Education and Training
j. Standards on Research and Publication
A. Misuse of Psychologist’s Works
B. Conflicts between Ethics and Law, Regulations or
other Governing Legal Authority
C. Conflicts between Ethics and Organizational
Standards for Demands
Resolving D.
E.
Informal Resolution of Ethical Violations
Reporting Ethical Violations
Ethical Issues F. Cooperating with Ethics Committee
G. Improper Complaints
H. Unfair Discrimination Against Complainants
and Respondents
“In instances where misuse or misrepresentation of our
work comes to our attention, we take appropriate and
reasonable steps to correct or minimize effects of such
misuse or misrepresentation.”
A. Misuse of
Psychologist’s This standard focuses on corrective action that must be taken
Works when psychologists learn that others have misused or
misrepresented their work.
To remedy misuse, psychologists can write letters to or speak with
interested parties, request retraction of misrepresentations, or
discuss with appropriate persons corrective measures to be taken.
▪ A school psychologist completed a report summarizing her
assessment of a child whose test results did not clearly meet
diagnostic criteria for serious emotional disturbance. Several days
later, she learned that the principal of her school had forwarded to the
division head only those parts of the assessment report that supported
the principal’s desire to classify the student as emotionally disturbed
to fill a special education quota. The psychologist asked the principal
to send the entire report, explaining the ethical issues involved.
A. Misuse of
▪ A research psychologist learned that a special interest group had
Psychologist’s sent a listserv mailing for financial contributions that misquoted and
misrepresented the psychologist’s writings as supporting the group’s
Works cause. The psychologist contacted the group and asked it to cease
sending this e-mail to other potential contributors and to e-mail a
(sample cases) correction to the listserv recipients.
▪ A forensic psychologist learned that an attorney had submitted to
the court a tampered version of the psychologist’s written report. The
psychologist, after consulting with an independent attorney, informed
the court of the tampering.
▪ The phrase “reasonable steps” recognizes that
despite their best efforts in many instances
Misuse of psychologists may not be in a position to ensure their
Psychologist’s requests to correct misuse are followed.
▪ Psychologists should always document the
Works, Cont’d… corrective efforts made to remedy known misuse or
misrepresentations.
“In instances where our code of ethics conflicts
with the law, regulations or governing legal
authority, our first step is to take appropriate
actions to resolve the conflicts while being
B. Conflicts committed to our code of ethics. However, if the
conflicts cannot be resolved by such means, we
between Ethics adhere to the law, regulations or governing legal
and Law, authority.”
Regulations or
Sample case: A psychologist who had received a court order
other Governing for confidential information sent a letter to the judge
explaining the relevant confidentiality standards in the Ethics
Legal Authority Code and requesting judicial review to determine whether a
limited release of information would meet legal
requirements.
When reasonable actions taken by psychologists
do not resolve the conflict, they are permitted to
make a conscientious decision regarding whether
to adhere to the Ethics Code or the legal or
regulatory authority.
When a For example, the Department of Defense routinely
Conflict require military psychologists to perform activities
that place service to the military mission above
Cannot be those of the best interests of the individual
client/patient resulting in conflicts between Dept
Resolved of Defense requirements and Ethical Standards
involving confidentiality, maintenance of records,
competence, and multiple relationships.
“In instances where our code of ethics conflicts
with organizational demands, we make our code
C. Conflicts of ethics known to the organization. We also
between Ethics declare our commitment and adherence to this
code when resolving the conflicts.”
and
Organizational This standard specifically requires psychologists to make
known their commitment to the Ethics Code in
Demands communications with the organization.
An industrial-organizational psychologist recently employed by
an organization to handle employment testing discovered that the
C. Conflicts organization used a test for preemployment screening for which there
between Ethics and was no applicable, documented validity evidence and that did not
appear to be clearly job related. The psychologist notified the
Organizational employer of the problem and recommended that use of the test be
Demands suspended until a more suitable preemployment screening process
could be identified and validated. The psychologist provided a
(Sample case) specific, realistic plan for helping the employer move toward an
ethical and legally defensible applicant screening process.
A school head wanted a psychologist whose job it was to evaluate
and counsel students in the school to take on an added role as the
C. Conflicts officer designated to evaluate and enforce school rules regarding
between Ethics and student-student and faculty-student sexual harassment.
Organizational The psychologist explained that the dual assignment could compromise
his ability to effectively conduct either role because it was likely that
Demands some students who came for counseling about sexual harassment would
need to appear before the psychologist to press or defend against sexual
(Sample case) harassment charges.
D. Informal Resolution of Ethical
Violations
“When we become aware that another psychologist violated our code of ethics,
we may resolve the issue by bringing it to the attention of the psychologist. We
do so if informal resolution is sufficient and if the intervention does not violate
confidentiality rights.”
D. Informal Resolution of Ethical Violations, Cont’d…
Professional and scientific misconduct by psychologists can harm
coworkers, distort the public’s ability to make decisions informed by
knowledge generated by members of the profession, and harm the
profession itself by instilling public distrust.
When an ethical violation by another psychologist occurs, members of the
profession are in the best position to recognize the violation and select a
course of action that could ameliorate harm or prevent further violations.
Thus, this standard is about the responsibility of psychologists to be
concerned about and where appropriate address the scientific or
professional misconduct of their colleagues.
Examples of misconduct psychologists might encounter in which an
informal resolution is appropriate include the following:
o A psychologist with no prior education, training, or supervised experience in
neuropsychological assessment began to incorporate a number of such instruments into a
battery of tests for older adult clients. After a colleague brought this to her attention, an
informal resolution was achieved when the psychologist agreed to obtain appropriate training
in neuropsychological assessment before continuing to use such techniques.
o A psychologist working with a non-English speaking psychotherapy client asked the client’s
son to serve as an interpreter during sessions.
o A consulting psychologist hired to help management plan for a shift in organizational
structure planned to take stock options in partial payment for the work.
o In a job application, a psychologist claimed as a credential for health service delivery a degree
earned from an educational institution that was neither accredited nor a basis for licensure.
E. Reporting “1. If there is likely to have substantial harm to a
person or organization, we take further action to
Ethical report violation of the code of ethics to
appropriate institutional authorities.
Violations 2. However, this does not apply when an
intervention would violate confidentiality rights
or when we are called to review the work of
another psychologist whose professional conduct
is in question.”
E. Reporting “1. If there is likely to have substantial harm to a
person or organization, we take further action to
Ethical report violation of the code of ethics to
appropriate institutional authorities.”
Violations
As a rule of thumb, behaviors likely to cause
substantial harm are of a kind similar to sexual
misconduct, plagiarism, and blatant, intentional
misrepresentation.
E. Reporting
“2. However, this does not apply when an intervention
would violate confidentiality rights or when we are called
Ethical
to review the work of another psychologist whose
professional conduct is in question.”
Violations This standard offers nonbinding examples of available
reporting options including filing a complaint with the PAP,
referring the case to the PRB if the ethical violation also
violates a law, or filing a complaint with the psychologist’s
institution or organization at which the psychologist works.
However, this standard prioritizes the protection of
confidentiality over the duty to report an ethical violation.
E. Reporting Psychologists may be retained to help an
organization, the courts or an individual evaluate
Ethical whether the actions of a psychologist have
violated the Ethics Code. This standard preserves
Violations, the ability of members of the discipline to
provide expert opinion on the ethical conduct of
Cont’d… their peers by exempting from the reporting
requirement psychologists hired to review the
ethical activities of another psychologist.
“We cooperate with the ethics investigation, proceedings and
requirements of any psychological association we belong to.”
F. Cooperating
with Ethics A profession that demonstrates it can monitor itself promotes
public confidence in the services of its members. Thus, an ethics
Committee code must enable professional organizations to effectively
adjudicate ethics complaints.
Membership in the PAP brings with it a commitment to
adhere to the Ethical Standards of the profession. To ensure
the validity and viability of PAP ethics adjudication, this
standard requires that when called on to do so, psychologists
cooperate with PAP and PRB ethics investigations,
proceedings, and resulting requirements.
F. Cooperating
with Ethics See reference:
Committee PAP Scientific and Professional Ethics Committee
(PAP-SPEC) Rules and Procedures for
Investigations of Unethical Conduct
G. Improper Complaints
“We refrain from filing ethical complaints with reckless disregard or willful ignorance
of facts that would disprove allegations of ethical violations. We also refrain from
filing complaints without supporting factual evidence.”
The filing of frivolous complaints intended solely to harm the respondent undermines
the educative, adjudicative, and public protection purposes of the Ethics Code.
Unfounded and revengeful complaints can taint a scientific and professional career,
incur costly legal fees for a respondent, and dilute public trust in the profession.
G. Improper Complaints,
Cont’d…
Feelings of hostility and intent to do harm may accompany a valid complaint against
psychologists who have acted unethically. Accordingly, the language of this standard was
crafted to focus on the complaining psychologist’s disregard for available information that
would disprove the allegation rather than on the personal motives underlying the complaint.
Examples of improper complaints to the PAP ethics committee often involve academic
colleagues, business rivals, or psychologists with opposing forensic roles who attempt to
misuse the ethics adjudication process as a means of defeating a competitor rather than
addressing wrongful behavior; or who attempt to dilute a complaint against them through a
counter-complaint.
G. Improper Complaints,
Cont’d…
The discipline of psychology and the public benefit from psychologists
monitoring the ethical activities of other psychologists, but both are
damaged when the Ethics Code is misused as a weapon to harass or
otherwise harm members of the profession.
“1. We do not discriminate against complainants and
respondents of ethical complaints by denying them
H. Unfair employment, advancement, admissions to academic, tenure
or promotion.
Discrimination 2. This does not rule out taking appropriate actions based
Against on outcomes of proceedings.”
Complainants
Situations arise in which employees, colleagues, students,
and or student applicants accuse others or are accused of sexual
Respondents harassment or other forms of professional or scientific
misconduct. This standard protects the rights of individuals
to make ethical complaints without suffering unfair
punitive actions from psychologists responsible for their
employ, academic advising, or training.
H. Unfair The standard also protects the rights of those accused of
unethical behaviors to pursue their career paths pending
Discrimination resolution of a complaint.
Against The Ethics Code makes clear that psychologists have a
responsibility to be concerned about the ethical compliance
Complainants of their colleagues’ scientific and professional conduct.
and This standard supports the implementation of this
obligation by prohibiting unfair discrimination against
Respondents, those who make ethics complaints.
Cont’d…
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