Decoding the Ethics Code: A Practical Guide for Psychologists

A special update of the Second Edition of Decoding the Ethics Code, this edition includes the latest 2010 American Psychological Association Amendments to the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. In response to the long-running debate on involvement of psychologists in military interrogations, the APA modified the language of 2 standards in the APA Ethics Code (1.02 and 1.03) in February 2010. The modifications now specifically mention 'human rights'. This updated edition covers the new guidelines and terminology regarding human rights and recognizes the new (controversial) requirement to disobey laws if they are inconsistent with human rights. In addition, the "Hot Topic" section pp. 65-68 has been updated to describe the current controversy and the modifications. It will help psychologists and counselors apply the Ethics Code to the current scientific, professional, and legal realities of the discipline.

Table of Contents:
Part I: Introduction and Background Chapter 1: A Code of Ethics for Psychology: How Did We Get Here? Chapter 2: The Introduction and Applicability Section, Preamble, and General Principles: What Do They Mean? Chapter 3: The APA Ethics Code and Ethical Decision Making Part II : Enforceable Standards Chapter 4: Standards for Resolving Ethical Issues Chapter 5: Standards on Competence Chapter 6: Standards on Human Relations Chapter 7: Standards on Privacy and Confidentiality Chapter 8: Standards on Advertising and Other Public Statements Chapter 9: Standards on Record Keeping and Fees Chapter 10: Standards on Education and Training Chapter 11: Standards on Research and Publication Chapter 12: Standards on Assessment Chapter 13: Standards on Therapy Appendix A: Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, American Psychological Association (2002, amended June 1, 2010) Appendix B: Readings Regarding Ethics and Human Rights

About the Author :
Celia B. Fisher, Ph.D., the Marie Ward Doty University Chair is a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Fordham University Center for Ethics Education. Dr. Fisher chaired the American Psychological Association's (APA) Ethics Code Task Force responsible for developing the current APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct and served as Chair of the New York State Board for Psychology, Vice-Chair of the APA Insurance Trust and was a member of the APA Ethics Committee. She has provided national leadership in developing guidelines for graduate education in Applied Developmental Psychology ethical standards and federal guidelines for human subjects research through her service as Chair of National Conference on Graduate Education in Applied Developmental Science, the Environmental Protection Agency's Human Studies Review Board and the DHHS Secretary's Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections (SACHRP) and as member of the Ethics Working Group of the National Children's Study, the NIMH Data Safety Monitoring Board and the Institute of Medicine Committee on Clinical Research Involving Children. Dr. Fisher is the founding co-editor of the journal Applied Developmental Science. She has over 100 publications and 9 books covering topics on the developmental correlates of racial/ethnic discrimination; child and parental attitudes toward privacy and research ethics; the ability of children, adults with mental retardation and other vulnerable populations to consent to treatment and research, community perspectives on HIV and drug use prevention research ethics and guidelines for mental health research involving ethnic minority children and youth. Dr. Fisher's research and the graduate and post-graduate ethics training programs she administers through the Fordham University Center for Ethics Education have received support from the National Science Foundation, the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute for Mental Health, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the Department of Education, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Center for Research Resources, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Review :
"A very clear and well written book highlighting many of the important aspects of ethics. Crucially, it covers aspects of ethics often ignored by other texts and explains less well understood aspects very clearly (for example, authors' credit)." -- Dr Peter Hills "Excellent book, perfect for this course." -- Professor Debra Glaser "Excellent material, updated for introduction to ethical practice." -- Dr Kenneth Hapke "Comprehensive and well formatted with essential practical applications imbedded in the text." -- Professor Sandra Miller "The author presents a nice overview of the ethics code, but does it in an engaging manner. I really liked the case studies presented along with the ethical codes. The case studies help students identify more with the ethical codes by providing situations my students may encounter when they start working in the field." -- Heidi Hillman "Consistent with early editions of this book, the present updated edition is an excellent contribution to the literature on the APA Ethics code and is sure to have utility for professors, students, and practicing psychologists. I would strongly recommend the book for use in graduate classrooms focusing on the APA Ethics code. I would also strongly recommend the book to new and experienced clinicians in practice settings. This specific update for this edition of the book is likely to be of particular benefit to those working in military or forensic settings as notable updates have been included focusing on the changes to the APA Ethics Code as a function of human rights issues. The greatest strengths of the book include it's brevity, organization, and clarity of content. In line with its name, it is especially capable of helping students or those with minimal experience with the ethics code to understand the heart of the APA standards and aspirational statements." -- Caleb Siefert 20110916