Over the past five years, the Canadian Psychological Association has been in the process of developing a new code of ethics for Canadian psychologists. Reasons for this effort are outlined, and the previously used American Psychological Association code is examined from the point of view of four main purposes of ethics codes: to help establish a group as a profession; to act as a support and guide to individual professionals; to help meet the responsibilities of being a profession; and to provide a statement of moral principle that helps the individual professional resolve ethical dilemmas. The objectives, methodology, and an outline of the new Canadian code are presented.
In addition to its wide use in Canada, the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists has captured interest in the international community. This article explores nine features of the Code that are somewhat unique and may explain, at least in part, this interest: (a) setting objectives based on a critical analysis of the international and interdisciplinary literature on codes of ethics; (b) inclusion of an overriding ethic of a contract with society; (c) use of an empirical methodology in developing the Code, (d) organization of the Code around four ethical principles; (e) differential weighting of the four ethical principles; (f) inclusion of a model for ethical decision making; (g) inclusion of a role for personal conscience; (h) inclusion of both minimum and idealized standards; and (i) presentation of the Code as an umbrella document. The thinking behind each feature is presented, including reasons for some changes to the 1991 version of the Code.1. Identification of ethically relevant issues and practices.
The provision of competent and beneficial service to the public requires keen awareness of ethical issues and standards. However, a psychologist in Canada or the United States sometimes feels that, in the name of protecting the public, there has been an over-generation of standards, regulations, and requirements defining how the psychologist may practice. This activity has included the generation of mechanisms for investigation and punishment of psychologists who do not conform, and, in our increasingly litigious society, psychologists' concerns have expanded. A previously perceived straightforward concern about how to provide the most competent, ethical service has grown to include a concern about how to avoid what is perceived to be a plethora of possible complaints and violations. In some areas of practice, psychologists believe that the question is not if but when allegations of professional misconduct will be made, and they are concerned how they will defend themselves. How did all of this come about? A Historical Perspective on ProfessionsThe concept of profession has developed over time. In previous centuries, the only occupations awarded the status of a profession were theology, "he content of this chapter has been borrowed significantly from Sinclair, C. (1993). Codes of ethics and standards of practice. In K. Dobson & D. Dobson (Eds.), Professional psychology in Canada (pp. 167-199). Seattle, WA: Hogrefe & Huber Publishers. Copyright 1993 by Hogrefe & Huber Publishers. Adapted with permission of the publisher.This chapter contains a review of the broad historical context of ethical codes and licensure for professions in general, as well as an outline of the development of ethical codes and licensure for psychology. For a detailed discussion of current codes for psychologists, see chapter 4.
In this article, the evolution of the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists (the Code) from its first adoption in 1986 to its third edition in 2000 is traced, and possible changes to the next edition of the Code are explored. Several characteristics maintained over all three editions of the Code are identified as its core. Clarifications that have been made to some of these core characteristics are outlined, including articulation of the concept of a "contract with society," clarification of the legitimate use of personal conscience, additional steps in the ethical decision making process, and more detailed explanations in the Values Statements. Reasons for changes to standards are identified as primarily related to changes in society that have resulted in changes to the expectations and work of psychologists, as well as to the ongoing dialogue within the psychology and broader communities regarding ethical issues and challenges. Five tables outline the substantive changes made to the Code over the years. The author also presents some initial results from the current process of review of the 2000 Code.
This paper reports on the development, implementation, and evaluation of an innovative marriage preparation program. The program used a small discussion‐group format, had pre‐ and post‐wedding sessions, and emphasized the importance of communication patterns and conflict resolution. It was hypothesized (1) that spouses who took part in such a program would be less likely to engage in destructive conflict with each other than those who had not taken part; and, (2) that spouses who took part in the program would seek assistance in solving either individual or marital problems more readily than those who did not take part. The data supported both hypotheses.
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