Not all ethical problems are well defined, but the American Psychological Association aims to guide psychologists to make sound ethical decisions under the five fundamental values in their occupation. Benefit and non-maliciousness, loyalty and responsibility, integrity, fairness, and respect for human rights, as well as dignity, are all included. Beneficence and non-maleficence content that psychologists should try to protect their patients’ underlying rights and well-being. This involves the customers they see in clinical practice, animals used in research and experiments, and anyone who communicates with them (Smith, 2003). Fidelity and duty mean that psychologists’ moral responsibility is to support those in their practice and maintain high standards of ethics. Psychologists must take part in practices that strengthen their colleagues’ ethical compliance and actions.
Deception in research can mean that the results desired can be manufactured or manipulated in any way. Justice, in its broader context, concerns a reasonable and unbiased obligation. People have a right to access and profit from psychological advances (Smith, 2003). Finally, psychologists must respect the rights of professionals to integrity, privacy, and confidentiality. They should also seek to mitigate their stereotypes and be mindful of diversity problems and specific communities’ needs.
Ethics, in particular with counseling and science, is an essential topic in the field of psychology. The APA Code of Ethics offers psychology practitioners the guidelines to be better prepared to learn what to do in situations where a particular moral or ethical problem is present. The standards of professional conduct should be upheld by psychologists (Smith, 2003). In other instances, the APA specifies the requirements that can be implemented. When a person in a mental health facility does not comply with the ethics code, for example, penalties may be levied by agencies other than APA upon the counselor.
Reference
Smith, D. (2003). 10 ways practitioners can avoid frequent ethical pitfalls: Boost your ethical know-how with these practical tips on avoiding common ethical quandaries. APA Monitor, 34(1), 50. Web.