Parental consent for psychological evaluations: Legal,ethical and practical considerations

This article explores the legal, ethical, and practical considerations underlying the requirement for acquiring parental consent prior to a psychological assessment of children in school settings. Publ. L. 94-142 now mandates that parents for all children potentially labeled as handicapped give permission for a preplacement evaluation. This article reviews in detail specific aspects of that mandate, argues that this procedure be generalized to all situations where psychologists propose to evaluate children by reviewing both current ethical codes and standards for practice and public policy which favors such an undertaking. Finally, the authors indicate methods for implementing the mandate by discussing such issues as who should obtain consent and what information parents should receive prior to giving consent.     

Ethical issues in personality assessment in forensic psychology.

In this article we address several ethical issues of concern for psychologists who are engaged in personality assessment in forensic settings such as for courts or attorneys. The ethical issues reviewed include the role of the psychologist as an expert witness, matters of competence, informed consent, confidentiality, multiple relationships, and special issues related to billing. Emphasis is placed on how psychologists can provide useful information to the courts in a manner consistent with the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, the Committee on Ethical Guidelines for Forensic Psychologist's Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists, and the APA's Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Divorce Proceedings. The practical recommendations made in this article are consistent with the APA's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.     

Practical and ethical issues pertaining to test revisions

Revisions of clinical psychological tests are occurring at more frequent intervals than in the past. These revisions involve such practical issues as the goals of the revision, the economic considerations relating to the revision, the methodology of the revision, and the degree to which the revision meets the available scientific and ethical standards governing the use of these tests in individual assessment. A tension between practical and ethical issues in the test revision process is inevitable and demands the best of psychologists in their decision making. Test developers, psychologists, patients, and consumers of the test interpretations and recommendations have legitimate interests and a stake in seeing that test revisions are applied with maximal effectiveness and fairness in the broadest sense.     

Modern Advances in Genetic Testing: Ethical Challenges and Training Implications for Current and Future Psychologists

The ethical implications for psychological practice of genetic testing are largely unexplored. Predictive testing can have a significant impact on health and well-being, and increasing numbers of individuals with knowledge of their risk for various disorders are likely to present for psychotherapy. In addition, more people will struggle with the decision of whether to obtain information regarding their genetic material. Psychologists will need to have the appropriate knowledge and clinical skills to effectively counsel this population. This article highlights the relevant ethical issues surrounding psychological treatment of individuals pursuing or considering undergoing genetic testing. These issues are extended to psychologists working in research, education, and policy domains. Recommendations for graduate training programs to facilitate current and future practitioner competence are also discussed.     

Ethical issues for psychologists in hospital-based research and practice

Psychologists are increasingly viewing hospital-based practice with problems of physical health and illness as an area of both needed and appropriate involvement. Indeed, a wide array of research findings underscores the importance of psychological factors in maintaining physical health and preventing illness. However, the increasing involvement of psychologists, and broader acceptance of the practice contributions they can make, may lead to their experiencing ethical dilemmas in research and in practice. This article considers some ethical issues of confidentiality and informed consent in areas of research and practice with hospital-based patients.     

Ageism and psychological testing with elderly immigrant women

The focus on aging and ageism are fairly recent in psychology. Nevertheless, it is clear that these processes are of particular interest to many psychologists involved in psychological assessment, since both of these affect the content and the process of the assessment. In the present paper some key issues are raised regarding ageism and stereotypes of the aging held by mental health professionals and psychologists in particular. On the assumption that psychological testing with the aging is required to achieve accurate diagnoses and therapeutic interventions, some concerns about how psychological testing with the aging should proceed is presented.     

Personality assessment and counseling psychology

This article examines the place of personality assessment in counseling psychology. Three areas are considered: (a) the types of tests counseling psychologists use, (b) the perspective counseling psychologists apply to the use of tests, and (c) projective techniques and counseling psychology. Each area is examined, and the issues it raises for counseling psychology are presented. Some conclusions about personality assessment practices in counseling psychology are made, and several directions for future training are identified.     

Personality Assessment and Counseling Psychology

This article examines the place of personality assessment in counseling psychology. Three areas are considered: (a) the types of tests counseling psychologists use, (b) the perspective counseling psychologists apply to the use of tests, and (c) projective techniques and counseling psychology. Each area is examined, and the issues it raises for counseling psychology are presented. Some conclusions about personality assessment practices in counseling psychology are made, and several directions for future training are identified.     

Self-reported assessment practices of school psychologists: Implications for training and practice

This study reports the results of an investigation of the assessment views and practices of school psychologists in the United States. Results of the investigation indicated that respondents are predominantly behavioral and cognitive behavioral in orientation; spend most of their professional time in the public schools; and engage in a great deal of assessment. Behavioral assessment and projective testing occupies the greatest amount of their social-emotional assessment time. Behavioral interviewing is the most used behavioral technique, followed by behavioral observation, which is reportedly used by approximately one third of the respondents with from 41% to 100% of clients. Although most of the respondents report a preference for continuing to do approximately the same amount of the various social-emotional assessment activities as they are presently doing, very high percentages of respondents indicate that their use of behavioral assessment strategies would increase with development of published instrumentation, normative standards, and standardized out-of-setting behavioral procedures.     

Psychological assessment in Asia: introduction to the special section

Psychological assessment with Asians is an important topic not only for psychologists from Asian countries but also for psychologists in multicultural societies with large populations of ethnic Asians. There is a dearth of information in the English language literature on psychological assessment for Asians. This special section is organized to review various forms of psychological assessment in Asia. The objectives of the special section are to inform test users and researchers of the issues related to cross-cultural validity of psychological assessment in Asia and to introduce examples of adapted and indigenously developed instruments that are culturally appropriate.     

心理咨询和治疗的知情同意原则及其影响因素

随着心理咨询和治疗的发展,患者的知情同意成为临床心理学实践的一个基本伦理观念和原则。首先提出心理咨询和治疗实践中的知情同意问题,介绍心理咨询和治疗知情同意的要素、过程、内容、意义和影响因素,并附心理咨询和治疗提供给患者的知情同意问卷,旨在引起从业者的注意和重视,并在临床实践中自觉地遵守。     

Ethical Considerations for Psychologists Providing Treatment to Arab Americans

Given the recent increase in hate crimes against Arab Americans, there are growing concerns over the mental health needs of Arab Americans and a pressing need for psychologists’ competence in treating this group. Although there are several clinical guidelines for other health care professions, there remains a paucity of information on the ethical issues that may arise for psychologists treating this Arab Americans. This article briefly provides background information on Arab Americans, highlights elements of Arab culture that might influence psychological treatment, discusses ethical issues that might arise when psychologists provide services to Arab Americans, and provides recommendations to address these issues.     

Ethics and Confidentiality for Psychologists in Academic Health Centers

Psychologists in academic health centers (AHC) face important ethical issues including confidentiality when working with a multidisciplinary team, sharing of information through the electronic health record, obtaining informed consent in a fast-paced healthcare environment, cultural competency in the medical setting, and issues related to supervision and training. The goal of this paper is to describe ethical issues for psychologists in AHCs in the context of case examples, and to consider ethical decision-making tools to enhance clinical care. Considerations for best practices in integrated care settings will be discussed, and the APA Ethical Standards will be referenced throughout.     

Solving ethical problems in medical settings during psychological assessment: a decisional model.

The unique culture of medical settings impacts the style, pace, and quality of psychological consultation provided in that setting. Matters of life and death and other health emergencies, relationships with the courts, and contact with severely impaired patients are typical events. Medical psychologists (MPs) share many, but not all, of the ethical values that guide provision of services by other medical professionals under such circumstances. This generates the need to develop an interdependent but independent ethical orientation on the part of MPs in all professional activities, including psychological assessment. In this article, background information is presented on values that frequently drive medical treatment that may conflict with the MPs' ethical standards. A model appropriate for use in situations requiring complex decisional processes is reviewed, and vignettes are presented as examples of bioethical problem solving under this systematic decisional framework.     

心理学研究中的伦理

本文介绍了美国心理学会关于科学研究的伦理原则和相关的规定,以及结合心理学科研实践讨论怎样实施这些原则与规定。本文对我国心理学的伦理建设有一定参考价值。主要内容如下:1.人类参与的研究; a.知情同意及欺骗; b.自由退出; c.保护免受伤害和事后情况说明; d.清除有害后果; e.保密。2.动物研究的伦理:a.反对研究动物的论点; b.赞成研究动物的论点。c.研究动物的指南。3.科学欺诈。4.监督伦理实践。     

Legal and psychological implications in the assessment of sexual consent in the cognitively impaired population

The question of competency to consent to sexual activity in the cognitively impaired population continues to be a difficult assessment issue. Problems center on inconsistent legal and clinical criteria, current inadequate methods of psychological assessment, and the need to promote basic human rights, while protecting people from harm. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, the problems inherent in the psychological assessment of competency to consent to sexual activity are discussed with an emphasis on problems defining consent competency. Second, the utility of a neuropsychological test battery in assisting with the assessment of the ability to consent to sexual activity was examined. Findings indicated that executive measures of neuropsychological assessment were primarily associated with competency to consent to sexual activity. It is important that these neuropsychological measures were more accurate in categorizing competent and noncompetent individuals than methods currently in use. This suggests that sexual consent assessments in the forensic arena should include neuropsychological testing and that current methods are insufficient.     

Ethical issues surrounding human participants research using the Internet

The Internet appears to offer psychologists doing research unrestricted access to infinite amounts and types of data. However, the ethical issues surrounding the use of data and data collection methods are challenging research review boards at many institutions. This article illuminates some of the obstacles facing researchers who wish to take advantage of the Internet's flexibility. The applications of the APA ethical codes for conducting research on human participants on the Internet are reviewed. The principle of beneficence, as well as privacy and confidentiality, informed consent, deception, and avoiding harm are all illustrated through the use of a hypothetical online study.     

An Exploratory Study: Perceptions of Ethical Behaviors Among Psychologists Practicing in the Caribbean

A sample of 44 psychologists who practice in the Caribbean completed a web-based survey containing 73 behavioral items related to ethical issues in professional practice. The aim of this exploratory study was to learn about perceptions regarding ethical behaviors that create ethical dilemmas and the level of agreement to their responses and to identify how demographic variables influenced their perceptions of ethical behaviors. Findings suggest that there was approximately an equal level of agreement on behaviors such as being an advocate for your client and being sexually involved with a current client rated as ethical and unethical, respectively. Several demographic variables and ethical behaviors such as level of degree and confidentiality issues were statistically significant. Finally, psychologists prefer the presence of a professional psychological association with an ethics committee.     

Psychological testing on the Internet: new problems, old issues

The Internet has significantly changed the way people conduct business, communicate, and live. In this article, the authors' focus is on how the Internet influences the practice of psychology as it relates to testing and assessment. The report includes 5 broad sections: background and context, new problems yet old issues, issues for special populations, ethical and professional issues, and recommendations for the future. Special attention is paid to implications for people with disabling conditions and culturally and linguistically diverse persons. The authors conclude that ethical responsibilities of psychologists and current psychometric standards, particularly those regarding test reliability and validity, apply even though the way in which the tests are developed and used may be quite different.