Reference no: EM133525108
Discussion Post: Ethics in Psychology
Topic I: Psychodiagnostic Assessment Case Study
Bella Luna is a clinical psychologist who specializes in working with young children. Her next-door neighbor is the superintendent of schools in their small community. He asks Bella to recommend a test that would assess the competency levels of all the district's teachers. After some research, she recommends the ABC Classification Exam because it appeared to measure key skills that all good teachers should have. However, the exam had not been validated for assessing teaching competencies. Bella also set 70% as the passing grade for the exam. When the teaching staff and administration took the exam, more than half failed, including those who self-identified as minority.
Reviewing the course readings and the APA code, determine the ethical violations committed by Bella and explain what the correct action would have been.
Topic II: Personnel Psychology Case Study
Analyze the following case study regarding ethics in personnel psychology.
A psychologist administered the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) to assess candidates for promotion to senior management positions within an organization.
1. The CPI results were the only information the psychologist used to make the promotional decision, and these results were accepted as the "truth" regardless of the situational factors involving the inventory administration process.
2. The psychologist was not familiar with the research evidence suggesting that test and retest CPI profiles differ considerably depending on specific family or work stresses at the time of administration.
3. The psychologist did not administer any other inventories nor did he consider other evidence (e.g., appropriate performance ratings).
4. The psychologist used only the CPI because the organizational management wanted to announce the promotions immediately.
5. The psychologist recommended that a job analysis be performed to link the CPI's constructs to the requirements of the managerial job, but management rejected the recommendation because the linkage appeared obvious.
6. The psychologist handled the matter rapidly because the contract to conduct the assessment had tight time requirements.
Based on this information:
A. What ethical dilemma(s) exist(s)?
B. What portions of the APA code might be applicable?
C. What should the psychologist have done?
Topic III: Industrial Psychological Tests
Psychological tests for employment and career advancement are becoming increasingly common. A variety of psychological tests exist, from quick tests while completing a job application online or at a kiosk to web sites that potential employees can visit to answer a battery of screening questions prior to an interview. Some tests involve lengthy and multiple pen-and-paper exams plus face-to-face interviews.
1. In terms of personnel decisions that may rely on the results of psychological testing, what are psychologists' obligations to those persons being tested? Be sure to cite specific elements of the code in your response.
2. What rights do the test participants have concerning confidentiality of their results? Conduct a web search to evaluate suggestions about consumer rights and employment-related psychological testing to support your response.
3. What, if any, are the psychologists' ethical obligations to employers? For example, might anyone other than a psychologist interpret the test results?
4. Conduct a web search to determine what positions and training states legally require to analyze test results. Could this lead to additional issues concerning confidentiality of test results?