Client welfare in psychologists’ ethics codes
Keywords:
professional ethics in psychology; client welfare; ethics codes
Abstract
The principle of caring for the client’s welfare is the most pervasive of all the ethical principles in the profession of psychology, recognized in almost all of the psychologists’ ethics codes. Although recognized as an overarching value, the norm of client welfare is not formulated with sufficient precision. Its philosophical background is unclear, and the principle itself is of an aspirational rather than regulatory character. Psychology came a long way from the 1952 American Psychological Association Ethics Code to the 2008 Universal Declaration of Ethical Principles for Psychologists. From the beginning of the 21st century, the European and North American ethnocentrism of Western ethics codes is being increasingly challenged and is gradually giving way to the universalization of ethical principles, based on respect for common human dignity as well as for cultural diversity.
References
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PTP, Polish Psychological Association (1992). Code of professional ethics for the psychologist. Warsaw: Polish Psychological Association.
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Schuler, H. (1982). Ethical problems in psychological research, New York: Academic Press.
Sinclair, C., Poizner, S., Gilmour-Barrett, K., & Randall, D. (1987). The development of a code of ethics for Canadian psychologists. Canadian Psychology, 28, 1-8.
Societe Francaise de Psychologie. (1996). Code de deontology des Psychologues. Retrieved May 12, 2011, from http://www.sfpsy.org/IMG/pdf/revision-code-2011.pdf
British Psychological Society (2006). Code of ethics and conduct. Leicester, UK: British Psychological Society.
Canadian Psychological Association (2000). Canadian code of ethics for psychologists. Retrieved Jun 12, 2011, from http://www.cpa.ca/cpasite/userfiles/Documents/Canadian%20Code% 20of% 20Ethics% 20for% 20Psycho.pdf
Clay, R. (2002). An indigenized psychology. Monitor on Psychology, 13(5), 58-59.
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie, Berufsverband Deutscher und Psychologinnen Psychologen (1999). DGPS Ethische und Richtlinien der des BDP. Retrieved Dec 6, 2011, from http://www.bdp-verband.org/bdp/verband/ethik.shtml
European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (2005). Meta-Code of Ethics. Brussels, Belgium: EFPA.
Fisher, C. (2003). Decoding the ethics code: A practical guide for psychologists. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Gauthier, J. (2003). Toward a universal declaration of ethical principles for psychologists. In J. B. Overmier & J. A. Overmier (Eds.), Psychology: IUPsyS global resource. Hove, UK: Psychology Press.
Gauthier, J. (2009). Ethical principles and human rights: Building a better world globally. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 22(1), 25-32.
International Union of Psychological Science (2008). Universal declaration of ethical principles for psychologists. Retrieved Jun 21, 2011, from http://iupsys.net/index.php/ethics/declaration
Kultgen, J. (1982). The ideological use of professional codes. Business & Professional Ethics Journal, 1(3), 53-69.
Kultgen, J. (1988). Ethics and Professionalism. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Leach, M. & Harbin, J. (1997). Psychological ethics codes: a comparison of twenty-four countries. International Journal of Psychology, 32(3), 181-192.
Murray, B. (2002). Psychology takes a tenuous hold in Pakistan. Monitor on Psychology, 33(5), 45-47.
Newton, L. H. (1988). Lawgiving for professional life: Reflections of the place of professional code. In A. Flores (Ed.), The professional ideals (pp. 47-56). Belmont: Wadsworth.
Okasha, A. (2000). The impact of Arab culture on psychiatric ethics. In A. Okasha, J. Arboleda-Florez, & N. Sartorius (Eds.), Ethics, culture, and psychiatry (pp. 15-28). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.
Olatawrura, M. (2000). Ethics in sub-Saharan Africa. In A. Okasha, J. Arboleda-Florez, & N. Sartorius (Eds.), Ethics, culture, and psychiatry (pp. 103-108). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.
Pedersen, P. (1995). Culture-centered ethical guidelines for counselors. In J. Ponterotto, J. Casa, L. Suzuki, & C. Alexander (Eds.), A handbook of multicultural counseling (pp. 34-49). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Pedersen, P. (2001). Multiculturalism and paradigm shift in counseling: Controversies and alternative futures. Canadian Journal of Counseling, 35, 15-25.
Pettifor, J. (1996). Ethics: Virtue and politics in the science and practice of psychology. Canadian Psychology, 37, 1-12.
Pettifor, J. (2004). Professional ethics across national boundaries. European Psychologist, 9(4), 264-272.
Pettifor, J. & Horne, K. (2001). Professional ethics: Social responsibility or the status quo? In R. Roth & S. Neill (Eds.), A matter for life: Psychological theory, research and practice (pp. 449-46). Berlin: Pabst.
PTP, Polish Psychological Association (1992). Code of professional ethics for the psychologist. Warsaw: Polish Psychological Association.
Quian, M., Gao, J., Yao, P., & Rodriguez, M. A. (2009). Professional, ethical issues and the development of professional ethical standards in counseling and clinical psychology in China. Ethics and Behavior, 19(4), 290-309.
Schuler, H. (1982). Ethical problems in psychological research, New York: Academic Press.
Sinclair, C., Poizner, S., Gilmour-Barrett, K., & Randall, D. (1987). The development of a code of ethics for Canadian psychologists. Canadian Psychology, 28, 1-8.
Societe Francaise de Psychologie. (1996). Code de deontology des Psychologues. Retrieved May 12, 2011, from http://www.sfpsy.org/IMG/pdf/revision-code-2011.pdf
Published
2019-04-04
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