Ethical Standards & Professional Conduct Flashcards

A psychologist discovers mid-treatment that a new client is the ex-spouse of a current client. What is the most ethically appropriate first step?

Answer: Assess the potential for conflict of interest and consult before proceeding

APA ethics require psychologists to assess conflicts of interest and consult when dual relationships arise unexpectedly during treatment.

Under the APA Ethics Code, when is it permissible for a psychologist to disclose confidential information without client consent to protect a third party?

Answer: Only when the threat is serious, credible, and imminent

The duty to protect third parties is triggered only when a threat is serious, credible, and imminent, consistent with Tarasoff-influenced ethical standards.

A psychologist providing telepsychology services to a client who has moved to another state must primarily ensure:

Answer: Compliance with licensure laws in the client's new state

Practicing across state lines without appropriate licensure violates both ethical standards and legal requirements governing telepsychology.

Which situation best illustrates the ethical principle of nonmaleficence in psychological practice?

Answer: Refraining from using an assessment tool with known cultural bias on a diverse client

Nonmaleficence requires avoiding harm, including refraining from using biased instruments that could produce harmful or invalid results for diverse clients.

A supervisee discloses to their supervisor that they falsified data in a case note. The supervisor's ethical obligation is to:

Answer: Address the misconduct directly and report per organizational and legal requirements

Supervisors bear ethical responsibility for supervisee conduct and must address misconduct through appropriate channels per APA and licensing board standards.

When a psychologist is asked to perform a forensic evaluation on a former therapy client, the primary ethical concern is:

Answer: The role conflict created by shifting from a therapeutic to an evaluative relationship

Forensic evaluators must maintain objectivity, which is compromised when they have a prior therapeutic relationship with the evaluee.

A psychologist who has been treating a client for anxiety learns the client is also receiving treatment from another mental health professional for the same issue. The psychologist should:

Answer: Seek the client's consent to coordinate care with the other provider

Coordinating care with client consent promotes welfare and avoids conflicting treatment plans, consistent with ethical competence and beneficence.