ABSTRACT
The ethical dilemmas confronting psychologists in their various roles are becoming more numerous and more complex. Practitioners wondering whether to inform a client's partner of his HIV positive status, researchers trying to study child abuse while maintaining confidentiality, teachers or supervisors balancing their duty to students and their duty to the society in which the students will be credentialled--all find that formal codes of ethics and existing books do not and cannot address all their concerns and conflicts.
Kitchener lays a conceptual foundation for thinking well about ethical problems. She introduces a model of decision making based on five underlying principles and illustrates the ways in which it can help psychologists faced with tough choices make ethically defensible decisions. Beyond principled decision making in accordance with codes and her model, she considers the importance of ethical character and outlines the development of five key virtues that support moral behavior.
Among the thorniest issues she treats in depth are informed consent, confidentiality, both sexual and nonsexual multiple role relationships, competence, and social justice. Throughout, she begins with principles and then shows how they are applied in clinical, educational, and scientific contexts. She illuminates her discussion with vivid case examples that reflect her own rich experience and understanding.
Foundations of Ethical Practice, Research, and Teaching in Psychology gives psychologists, students, and trainees the tools they need to analyze their own ethical quandaries and take right action.
