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At the beginning of therapy with Mark M., you discussed the possible duration of treatment and estimated that therapy would not extend beyond his insurance coverage of your fee. You also informed Mark that you would be unable to reduce your fee when his therapy was no longer covered by insurance. Unfortunately, that time has arrived as Mark's insurance will cover only the next three sessions, many of Mark's problems are still unresolved, and he cannot afford your full fee. In terms of ethical responsibilities, you are ____________________.
required to discuss the matter with Mark and make a referral at the end of the three sessions if necessary
-
After a year in private practice, you hire a newly-licensed psychologist whom you will provide with an office and secretarial services. You will also refer clients to the psychologist and pay him 50% of the fees he collects from those clients. This arrangement is
ethical as long as the psychologist is being compensated in an equitable way
-
Informed consent from a client _____________________________.
A. must always be in writing
B. must always be in writing and in the client's native language
C. may be either verbal or in writing
D. may be either verbal or in writing but must be documented
D
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Dr. Oliver Olivetti has been seeing a client for several months who recently changed jobs. The client learns her new insurance plan does not begin covering pre-existing conditions for 12 months. The client asks Dr. Olivetti to produce invoices so that it appears she has just started therapy. If Dr. Olivetti complies with the client's request, he is acting _____________________.
unethically
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Which of the following best describes the status of professional (therapy) records?
A. The physical record belongs to the client.
B. The physical record belongs to the therapist.
C. The physical record belongs to the therapist, but the information contained therein belongs to the client.
D. The physical record and the information contained therein belong jointly to the therapist and the client.
C
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Dr. Bettina Browne, a licensed psychologist, undertakes a child custody evaluation at the request of the child's mother. The father agrees to be evaluated also, and Dr. Browne obtains signed informed consent from both parents before beginning her assessment. Dr. Browne administers the MMPI and Rorschach tests to both parents. The mother obtains significantly elevated scores on the MMPI's K and L scales, suggesting that she tends to lie and to be excessively defensive, and these tendencies are confirmed by her Rorschach responses. No significant abnormality is suggested by the father's MMPI and Rorschach results. Based on the test results, Dr. Browne recommends that the mother not be awarded custody of the child. Dr. Browne ______________________.
has acted unethically because of her use of the MMPI and Rorschach tests as methods of evaluating the mothers parental suitability
-
Miranda M., age 32, makes an appointment with you at the recommendation of her physician who has diagnosed her with recurrent headaches due to stress. The woman tells you that a friend of hers was trained in self-hypnosis for tension headaches and says that she also would like to learn self-hypnosis. You took a weekend workshop on hypnosis in graduate school but have not used it in your clinical practice. As an ethical psychologist, you should _______________________.
A. admit your lack of expertise in the use of self-hypnosis and refer the woman to another therapist
B. advise the woman that the underlying cause of her headaches would probably not be dealt with by self-hypnosis and suggest that she begin individual psychotherapy
C. accept the woman for treatment and begin training her in self-hypnosis after reviewing your workshop notes
D. accept the woman for treatment and begin training her in self-hypnosis but obtain consultation if you encounter any problems during the course of treatment
A
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You have been hired to assist with a research project on process variables in group psychotherapy. The psychologist who is the principal investigator tells you to discourage participants from leaving the group prior to the end of the study because, if too many participants drop out, the study's potential usefulness will be seriously compromised. As an ethical psychologist, you should ____________________________________.
write a letter to the psychologist, indicating the relevant ethical standards and offering to discuss the matter with him
-
A psychologist supervisor of several interns at a community hospital in a small town notices that one of the interns seems unenthusiastic and depressed. When he talks to her, she tells him that she's been very unhappy lately and feels she has no one to turn to. The intern asks the psychologist to see her in therapy, and he agrees to do so. The psychologist has acted ___________________________.
unethically by agreeing to get involved in a dual relationship
-
A psychologist decides to use a computerized test service to facilitate scoring and interpretation of the MMPI-2, which he frequently administers to his clients. The psychologist should be aware that ____________________.Select one:
A. the use of computerized interpretations is prohibited by ethical guidelines
B. computerized scoring and interpretation services are notoriously unreliable
C. computerized interpretations should always be supplemented with other information obtained by the psychologist
D. because of their objectivity, computerized interpretations are preferable to subjective interpretations
C
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The term "insanity" is a ______________________.
A. popular term for a mental disorder
B. legal, nonpsychiatric term for certain types of mental disorders
C. psychiatric term that refers to a psychotic disorder with an unknown etiology
D. psychiatric term that refers to an organic mental disorder
B
-
Alice A. has a master's degree in clinical psychology but is not licensed. She is hired by a community mental health clinic to administer several standard psychological tests to adults. According to ethical guidelines, this is ___________________.
A. acceptable as long as a professional clinical psychologist co-signs Alice's evaluations
B. acceptable as long as a professional clinical psychologist supervises Alice's activities
C. unacceptable since Alice is not a licensed psychologist
D. unacceptable since Alice does not have a doctoral degree
B
-
Following the retirement of his business partner, Dr. Sheldon Smith is the only psychologist in a small town with the closest mental health professional over 100 miles away. Several of Dr. Smith's new clients have problems for which he has limited training and experience. Dr. Smith should ____________________.
A. refuse to see the clients
B. see these clients but use only interventions that he has experience using
C. see the clients and obtain supervision or consultation by telephoneCorrect
D. agree to see these clients only if they are in crisis
C
-
A 24-year-old woman calls Dr. Sylvia Silby for an appointment but refuses to discuss her problem on the phone. During the initial therapy session, the young woman discusses her difficulties in a vague, guarded manner, indicating that, for the past few months, she has had increasing difficulty sleeping and has felt anxious and irritable. Ten minutes before the end of the session, the young woman tells Dr. Silby that she has been seeing another therapist for six months and that four weeks ago they began having a sexual relationship. As an ethical psychologist, Dr. Silby should _______________________.
explain to her the seriousness of her allegations and advise her of her rights and alternative courses of action
-
Farris F. terminated therapy with Dr. Pamela Prince several months ago but calls to request an appointment due to feeling lonely and depressed. Farris also feels "like he wants to die." In the past two months, Dr. Prince has been reducing her caseload due to retirement. The best course of action in this situation is for Dr. Prince to ______________________________.
see Farris in therapy until the crisis has passed and then provide him with appropriate referrals
Because the client states he "feels like he wants to die," the best course of action is to see the client in therapy until the crisis has passed, and then provide him with appropriate referrals. This answer is most consistent with the "spirit" of the ethical guidelines. See, for example, Standards 3.04 and 10.09 of the APA's Ethics Code and Principles II.2 and II.34 of the Canadian Code of Ethics.
-
Dr. Wanda Weim, a licensed psychologist, receives a request to testify in a custody proceeding on behalf of a male client that was receiving conjoint marital therapy six months prior. He requests Dr. Weim to provide the court with information about his parenting skills and relationship with his spouse and children. Dr. Weim contacts the man's wife, who refuses to give the psychologist permission to testify. Dr. Weim should do which of the following? Select one:
A.testify as requested by the husband
B.testify only about matters pertaining to the husband
C.testify only about matters for which she is qualified to make a judgment
D.refuse to testify
D
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You have started seeing a client who is from a different cultural background than you. She is having difficulty coping with the recent death of her mother. You have frequently worked with clients who are coping with loss, but you have never worked with a client from this background. You'd like to continue seeing this client in therapy to broaden your experience with culturally diverse populations. Your best course of action would be to ____________________________.
seek supervision or consultation and continue to work with the client
-
After three sessions with a therapy client, Dr. Leonard Lykowski realizes that he's feeling somewhat hostile toward the client, because she reminds him of his wife whom he's currently divorcing. Dr. Lykowski's best course of action would be to _______________________________.
consult with another psychologist to determine whether or not to continue seeing the client in therapy
-
Dr. Jacob Mansfield receives a subpoena requiring him to testify about a current therapy client. Dr. Mansfield contacts the client who states that she does not want him to release any confidential information to the court. Dr. Mansfield should _____________________.
notify the attorney who issued the subpoena that the client has asserted the privilege and request that he be released from subpoena
-
You receive an email from Dr. Brenda Browne, a licensed psychologist, who is currently seeing one of your former clients for a substance use disorder. Dr. Browne asks you to forward the client's record to her and states that the client has signed a release authorizing you to do so. You should:
contact the client to discuss the release of information
-
The term privilege refers to _____________________________.
A. an ethical requirement designed to protect client information from being disclosed except when the client has signed a release
B. a legal requirement designed to protect confidential information from being disclosed to anyone not directly involved in a client's case
C. an ethical requirement that applies to the confidentiality of therapist-client communications in both legal and nonlegal situations
D. a legal requirement designed to protect confidential information from being disclosed in a legal proceeding
D
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A woman comes to family therapy with her three daughters, ages 10, 13, and 19, all of whom live at home with the woman and their father. During the third therapy session, the 19-year-old tells you that her father began sexually molesting her when she was 13 years old. When you ask the younger girls if their father has ever abused them, they are reluctant to say anything about their father, and the mother adamantly denies any knowledge of abuse. In this situation, you should _____________________________________.
file a report with the appropriate authorities yourself
-
You receive a letter from Mrs. Bisque's attorney asking you to testify on behalf of Mrs. Bisque in a divorce settlement regarding the custody of her children. You are aware that Mrs. Bisque's husband was recently admitted to a psychiatric hospital in another city. You should _____________________________________.
refuse to make a specific recommendation about custody unless you can evaluate the entire family
-
ou receive a request from a psychologist working at a mental health crisis unit for information about a former client of yours who left three months ago with an outstanding balance of $500. The client has been admitted as an inpatient and has signed a release. You tell the psychologist that you will provide her with the information she has requested only after the client has made arrangements for paying his bill. You have ___________________________________.
acted unethically
In this situation, the former client's records are needed for an emergency situation as the client has been admitted as an inpatient to a mental health crisis unit.
-
Kameko K., a psychology intern, administers psychological tests for a community mental health clinic, but her supervisor always scores the tests and interprets the results. When preparing the psychological report for these clients, the supervisor does not indicate that the intern administered the tests. This is _________________________.
A. ethical because the supervisor scored and interpreted the tests
B. ethical because the supervisor is responsible for the accuracy of the psychological report
C. unethical because an intern should not be administering psychological tests
D. unethical because the intern should be listed as the examiner in the report
D
-
A client of Dr. William Wong who has been in therapy for six months is currently the defendant in a court case. The client's attorney contacts Dr. Wong, requesting that he provide her with information regarding diagnosis and treatment progress. Dr. Wong should _______________________________.
discuss the release with the client before taking any additional action
-
During a discussion with a 4th-grade teacher, the teacher tells a school psychologist that one of her students is constantly disrupting the class. After evaluating the child and obtaining more information about the situation, the school psychologist concludes that the teacher's approach with the child is part of the problem. Consequently, the school psychologist should __________________________________.
A. make an appointment with the principal to discuss the teacher's approach
B. explain to the teacher how her approach may be exacerbating the problem
C. recommend that he (the therapist) start counseling the child on a regular basis
D. recommend that the child be transferred to another classroom
B
Although this situation is not explicitly addressed by ethical guidelines, the APA's Ethics Code and the Canadian Code of Ethics require psychologists to cooperate with other professionals. School psychologists must often act as a coordinator to bring together a variety of people and resources to resolve problems. Of the answers given, this one is most in line with the child's best interests and the school psychologist's responsibility to work with all people involved in the case.
-
To serve as an expert witness in a court case, a psychologist must ______________________________________.
be qualified by the court to offer opinions and conclusions about the case
-
Sally, age 14, tells her therapist that she wants to die and that she has access to her mother's sleeping medication. The therapist believes that Sally's threat is serious and tells Sally that he'll have to contact her parents. Sally states their agreement when beginning therapy was that all information provided would be confidential. If the therapist contacts Sally's parents, he has acted ____________________.
ethically since a breach of confidentiality is justified when a client is threatening suicide
-
You receive a call from Mrs. Wang who is very upset because her 14-year-old daughter witnessed an assault of her best friend three days ago and is distraught. Her daughter has not slept, declines to eat, and is consistently tearful. You have limited experience working with adolescents and in providing crisis intervention. However, you are the most experienced psychologist in the community. As an ethical psychologist, you will _____________________.
see Mrs. Wang's daughter in therapy only until the crisis has ended or until you locate alternative services
-
Which of the following is true about the use of deception in research studies that may cause participants pain?
A. Deception is acceptable in studies that may cause pain only when the use of pain is justified by the study's potential value.
B. Deception is acceptable in studies that may cause pain only when there are no alternative methods for conducting a study.
C. Deception is prohibited when the pain is physical but not when it is psychological in nature.
D. Deception is prohibited whether the pain is physical or psychological in nature.
D
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Dr. Calvin Claymore, a licensed psychologist, regularly waives the co-payment for low-income clients whose therapy fees are covered by insurance. This practice is:
ethical only if the insurance company has agreed to this arrangement
-
A psychologist receives a phone call from a person with whom the psychologist had an intimate relationship for a short period of time over two years ago. The relationship ended amicably, and this person wants to start therapy with the psychologist. With regard to ethical requirements, is this an ethical decision?
It would be unethical to begin therapy with this person.
-
When conducting research with human participants, a psychologist should be aware that ___________________________.
A. participants must be debriefed as soon as possible after their participation in the study, especially when the study has involved deception
B. participants must be debriefed after their participation in the study only if the psychologist believes that not doing so will result in harm to them
C. participants may be debriefed after their participation when deception occurs
D. participants must be debriefed after their participation only if the study places them at high risk
A
-
A psychologist should be aware that information contained in client records _________________________________.
A. is protected by law and can never be disclosed without the client's consent
B. is the property of the psychologist and cannot be disclosed without his/her consent
C. is the joint property of the psychologist and client and cannot be disclosed without the consent of both
D. is not free from disclosure all of the time, regardless of the wishes of the client or the psychologist
D
-
A psychologist in private practice is going through a difficult divorce and, as a result, has started drinking and is often depressed. He should do what?
seek professional consultation and consider temporarily suspending his practice
-
A psychology intern offers his supervisor a chance to invest in a real estate business that is being arranged by the intern's father. The supervisor _____________________________.
should refuse to invest
-
Dr. Molly Mendez, a well-known behavioral psychologist, is asked by her secretary if she would be willing to provide him with therapy to overcome gambling addiction. If Dr. Mendez agrees to do so, she will be acting ____________________________.
unethically since doing so is likely to create an unacceptable multiple relationship
-
Dr. Dennis Jones, in having a casual talk with a colleague, takes an idea from their conversation and decides to design and conduct a study to follow-up on the idea. When publishing the results of the study, it would be best for Dr. Jones to ___________________________.
acknowledge his colleague's contribution in a footnote or introductory statement
-
A psychologist is writing a book for distribution and illustrates the section on projective personality tests with a number of pictures used in the Hand Test. This use of test materials in this way is _______________________.
clearly unethical because it compromises the usefulness of the test
-
Dr. Beatrice Bowen, a licensed psychologist, has been contacted by a company to evaluate job applicants. The job will involve administering projective tests to applicants for an accountant position to determine their sexual orientation. Dr. Bowen should ____________________.
A. not accept the job because the evaluation she is being requested to conduct represents an invasion of privacy
B. not accept the job because projective tests have been shown to be unreliable and invalid
C. accept the job and administer the tests as required but explain their purpose to all applicants before doing so
D. accept the job, administer the tests as required, and report the results to the company
A
-
A client is in therapy with you as part of the requirements for her probation. During the third therapy session, she tells you that she wants to quit therapy. You should _________________________.
tell her that she can quit but that she needs to consider the legal ramifications of doing so
-
A ___________ is a person appointed by the court to represent and make decisions in a legal proceeding for a minor or another person legally incapable of doing so.
guardian ad litem
-
Dr. Dolores Del Rio has been seeing Jeff J. in therapy for four months. For the last month, Jeff has complained about the progress he is making in therapy, and Dr. Del Rio has responded by working with him to modify treatment goals. In the last therapy session, however, Jeff stated that he is not happy with therapy. Dr. Del Rio's best course of action would be to ___________________.
discuss Jeff's continued dissatisfaction with him and the possibility of terminating therapy
-
Dr. Donald Jackson is starting a therapy group for recently divorced men. He tells the editor of the local newspaper, who has just divorced his wife, that he can attend the group for free if the editor includes an article about the program in the newspaper. Dr. Jackson has acted ____________________.
unethically because his request is exploitative and violates ethical guidelines
-
You are hired as a psychology adjunct professor to teach a course at a graduate school. Which of the following are you ethically required to do in this case?
A. provide accurate information about the course content and be sure it is available for all interested parties
B. confirm that the course content addresses the most recent research and theory in the area
C. confirm that the course content addresses the interests of the students who enroll in the class
D. allow students an opportunity to evaluate you at the end of the semester
A
-
In general, which of the following is considered the "best defense" for a psychologist who is being sued for malpractice?
adequate records
-
A 26-year-old client you have been seeing for two months unexpectedly admits to you that he had sexual relations with the 15-year old daughter of his neighbor six months ago. He says that he knows what he did was wrong and that he will never do it again. You should __________________________________.
A. maintain the client's confidentiality
B. report the client to the appropriate authorities
C. alert the parents of his victim
D. report the client to the appropriate authorities and alert the parents of his victim
B
-
A consulting firm hired Dr. Sam Stone to assist with an ongoing research project. Dr. Stone works under the project director, Dr. Thompson, an organizational psychologist. Dr. Thompson asks Dr. Stone to review the preliminary report she has prepared for the project; and, in doing so, Dr. Stone discovers that some of the reported data is misleading and inaccurate. Dr. Stone expresses his concerns to Dr. Thompson and is told that "it will be taken care of." Subsequently, Dr. Stone learns that the report was submitted to the company without any changes. Dr. Stone reviews the ethical guidelines and decides that pursuing the matter further isn't necessary. Dr. Stone's conclusion is _________________________.
A. correct since this situation is not covered by ethical guidelines
B. correct since he has already attempted to resolve the matter in an informal manner as proscribed by ethical guidelines
C. correct since it is the project directors responsibility to provide the company with complete and accurate data
D. incorrect because he has a responsibility to ensure that the company is provided with complete and accurate data
D
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The mother of a 31-year-old client that you have been providing therapy to for six months calls to check on her son's progress. She says that she is very concerned about her son and wants to know if there is anything she can do to help him. As an ethical psychologist, you _________________________.
tell her that you cannot discuss her son's condition with her
-
Dr. Karen Kempfer, a licensed psychologist who specializes in couples and marriage therapy, has tested positive for HIV. She is incredibly upset by this diagnosis. In terms of ethical requirements, Dr. Kempfer _____________________.
should refrain from participating in any professional activities that might be adversely affected by her medical condition
-
To be consistent with ethical requirements, David DeFoe, a psychology intern, must do which of the following?
A. He must tell his clients that he is a psychology intern.
B. He may tell his clients that his work is being supervised.
C. He must provide clients with information about his education and experience.
D. He must indicate his status on his business card.
A
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Dr. Amanda Alto's long-term client is suddenly fired from her job and can no longer afford Dr. Alto's fee. The client suggests that she babysit for Dr. Alto's children in exchange for therapy. In terms of ethical guidelines, this exchange would be __________________________________.
unethical
-
Dr. Nancy Noonan plans to conduct a research study that will involve testing and interviewing psychiatric inpatients. Before beginning the study, she must obtain _____________________________.
A. informed consent from the hospital's administrator
B. informed consents from the patients' legal guardians
C. informed consent from the patients' legal guardian and assent from the patients
D. assent from the patients
C
-
A psychology intern who has been working at a mental health clinic for the past six months tells you that his internship was suddenly terminated by his supervisor for "incompetence." He also says that he had not been given any warning that his performance was inadequate before being terminated. You tell the intern that ____________________________.
A. the supervisor's behavior seems unfair but is not addressed by ethical guidelines
B. the supervisor's behavior is acceptable as long as the intern was given specific reasons for his termination
C. the supervisor's behavior is acceptable as long as the reason for the intern's termination is valid
D. the supervisor's behavior may have violated ethical guidelines regarding supervisee performance evaluations
D
-
Which of the following best describes ethical guidelines regarding barter as a substitute for the collection of fees for professional psychological services?
A. Barter may be acceptable when certain conditions are met.
B. The barter of goods (but not services) is prohibited by ethical guidelines.
C. The barter of services (but not goods) is prohibited by ethical guidelines.
D. Barter of any kind is prohibited by ethical guidelines.
A
-
Which of the following is not a condition for a claim of malpractice against a psychologist?
A. The psychologist must have a legal duty to the client.
B. There must be evidence that the psychologists' actions were not in the best interests of the client.
C. The psychologist must have acted negligent or improperly.
D. There must be a causal relationship between the psychologists' negligence and the harm claimed by the client.
B
-
Dr. Kay Klein, a licensed psychologist, is preparing a brochure for her weekend workshop on "Effective Parenting Strategies for Single Parents." Included in the brochure are several testimonials from former workshop participants. According to ethical guidelines, the use of testimonials is ____________________________.
ethical if certain conditions are met
-
Malpractice is a tort involving which of the following?
A. failure to protect
B. coercion
C. negligence
D. breach of contract
C
-
Which of the following is responsible for the largest proportion of complaints filed with the APA's Ethics Committee?
A.sexual misconduct
B.test misuse
C.breach of confidentiality
D.discrimination
A
-
You are contacted by a defendant's attorney to evaluate the possibility of an insanity plea. Who is the "holder of the privilege" in this situation?
the defendant
-
Which of the following is most likely a violation of ethical guidelines?
A. A brochure containing client testimonials mailed to potential attendees at a conference for adult children of alcoholics.
B. An advertisement offering a free initial therapy session that is published in the campus newspaper prior to final exams.
C. Uninvited in-person solicitations for therapy of individuals whose homes were destroyed several months prior by a hurricane.
D. A display ad for psychotherapy services in the yellow pages.
C
-
Dr. Snyder, a clinical psychologist, is planning to take a three-week cruise. In terms of his clinical practice, Dr. Snyder's best course of action would be __________________________.
give his clients the phone number of a colleague who has agreed to accept phone calls in emergencies
-
Which of the following best describes the provisions of the APA's "Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology" regarding contingency fees?
A. Contingent fees are acceptable as long as they are fair and equitable.
B. Contingent fees are acceptable only for expert or fact witnesses who do not have a previous relationship with the person they are testifying about.
C. Contingent fees should ordinarily be avoided.
D. Contingent fees are not addressed by the Specialty Guidelines.
C
-
As defined in the APA's General Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services and the CPA's Practice Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services, "psychological services" include all of the following except?
A. the conduct of scientific research
B. program development
C. consultation related to assessment and intervention
D. supervision of psychological services
A
-
A psychologist realizes that one of her therapy clients is a co-owner of a company that just hired her as a consultant. To be consistent with ethical requirements, the psychologist should _____________________________.
remedy the situation in a way that takes the client's best interests into account
-
Within the context of sexual harassment, "quid pro quo" refers to ______________________________.
a situation in which an employees response to sexual demands impacts his/her job
-
You have been seeing Malcolm M. for several months and believe that the original issues that Malcolm came to therapy for have been successfully resolved. When you bring up the topic of termination with Malcolm, he says that he wants to continue therapy. In subsequent sessions, you and Malcolm are unable to come up with additional treatment goals. As an ethical psychologist, your best course of action would be to do which of the following?
A. tell Malcolm that you are ethically required to terminate therapy and reassure him that he'll be okay
B. provide Malcolm with a brief period of pretermination counseling and discuss the reasons why termination is appropriate
C. establish a contract with Malcolm for a maximum of three more months of therapy
D. continue seeing Malcolm until he feels he is ready to terminate
B
-
You are subpoenaed to appear at a deposition to testify about a former client of yours. During the deposition, the attorney for the opposing party asks you to provide confidential client information. You should _______________________.
assert the privilege unless the client has signed a waiver
-
You believe that one of your clients is exhibiting symptoms of PTSD. A new test for PTSD has been developed by a psychologist at the local university, and you would like to use the test to evaluate the client. However, the test is currently labeled "For Research Purposes Only." You should _______________________________.
not use the test
-
Which of the following is not an element of informed consent?
A.credibility
B.comprehension
C.voluntariness
D.competence
A
-
Psychologists are most likely to identify which of the following as the most frequent "ethically troubling issue" that they encounter in their professional practice?
A.conduct of colleagues
B.confidentiality
C.treatment termination
D.intimacy
B
-
The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) is best described as which of the following?
A.predictor of performance as a professional psychologist
B.measure of basic knowledge of psychology
C.measure of basic competence
D.method for protecting the profession of psychology
B
-
In a research study that uses deception, participants are not told the exact nature of the study prior to their participation. In terms of ethical requirements, the investigator is obligated to do which of the following?
A.explain why participants were not informed in the presentation of his research findings
B.explain the true nature of the study to all participants as soon as possible
C.file a waiver of informed consent with the institutional review board prior to beginning the study
D.do nothing out of the ordinary as long as the study is determined to be of significant scientific value
B
-
A psychotherapist, who is a member of APA, uses business cards that include her sliding scale fee. This is _____________________.
A.unethical because sliding scale fees cannot be addressed on a business card
B.unethical because sliding scale fees are not allowed
C.unethical because of APA membership
D.ethical
D
-
A psychologist who already has an established therapeutic relationship with a child is asked to act as an expert witness in a divorce proceeding involving custody of the child. The psychologist's best course of action would be to ____________________________.
decline the request to testify
-
Your colleague, who is a licensed psychologist, confides that he has just ended a sexual relationship with one of his clients. As he describes the client, you realize that she is someone you referred to him 18 months ago. As an ethical psychologist, you should ______________________________.
discuss the matter further with the colleague to see what course of action he plans to take
-
A psychology professor at a large university asks a graduate student to assist on a research project in the students' field of interest. The student will be required to spend 25 hours a week on the project and will be paid on an hourly basis. With regard to publication credit, the professor, who is also a psychologist, should do which of the following when preparing a journal article about the study?
A.He should include the student as a co-author since the student is working more than half-time on the project.
B.He should note the student's contribution in a footnote or introductory statement since the student is an employee.
C.He does not need to mention the student's contribution since the student is an employee.
D.He should acknowledge the student in a manner consistent with her contribution to the project.
D
-
As a psychologist working in a multidisciplinary setting, you should _____________.
A.only work with fellow psychologists when developing professional and ethical standards for psychological services
B.cooperate with other professionals when developing professional and ethical standards for psychological services
C.consult with your local ethics committee for permission to work with other professionals when developing professional and ethical standards for psychological services
D.develop professional and ethical standards for mental health services that do not recognize professional differences
B
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Dr. Ja-Hoon Jang is conducting a research study that involves interviewing junior high school students about peer relationships. Before beginning the study, Dr. Jang obtained informed consent from the parents of the students as well as assent from the students. During the course of the study, one of the students says he doesn't want to complete the interview. Dr. Jang should __________________________.
allow the student to withdraw from the study
-
Dr. Leonard, a licensed psychologist, has been seeing a prison inmate in group therapy for several months and is asked by the parole board to evaluate the inmate to assist with their decision. As an ethical psychologist, Dr. Leonard should:
A.agree to evaluate the inmate
B.agree to evaluate the inmate only if the inmate believes it is in their best interest
C.agree to do so only if she is allowed to explain the purpose of the evaluation and the limits on confidentiality to the inmate
D.refuse to evaluate the inmate for the purpose of parole
A
Although the APA guidelines state that multiple relationships should be avoided if there is risk of exploitation or impaired objectivity, an exception is allowed for therapists in a forensic setting to also conduct parole evaluations. Thus, it would be okay for Dr. Leonard to complete the parole evaluation.
-
Which of the following best describes ethical guidelines regarding the use of inducements to encourage individuals to participate in a research study?
A.Financial and other inducements are acceptable only when they do not coerce participation in the research study.
B.Financial and other inducements are acceptable only when the risks for participating in the study are clearly described to potential participants.
C.Financial and other inducements are acceptable only when alternative methods for obtaining participants are unavailable.
D.Financial inducements are unacceptable under any circumstances.
A
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Dr. Brian Bertram, a licensed psychologist, is hired by the owner of a company to evaluate employees who are underperforming. The determination would assist in identifying additional training needs or counseling for employees. In this situation, Dr. Bertram should _______________.
inform each employee prior to the evaluation of the potential limits on confidentiality
-
If a psychologist acts as both a fact witness for a plaintiff and an expert witness for the court in a criminal trial, she has acted _____________________________.
A.unethically by accepting dual roles
B.ethically as long as she did not have a prior relationship with the plaintiff
C.ethically as long as she clarifies her roles with all parties
D.ethically as long as she obtains a waiver from the court
C
The adoption of multiple roles is addressed in the ethics codes published by the American and Canadian Psychological Associations and in the APA's "Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology." According to ethical guidelines, maintaining multiple roles may be acceptable as long as the psychologist considers the risks and benefits of doing so for all involved parties and clarifies the nature of the multiples roles with all involved parties. See Standard 3.05 of the APA's Ethics Code and Principle I.26 of the Canadian Code of Ethics and Paragraph 4.02 of the "Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology."
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Which of the following best describes the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act requirements?
A.HIPAA takes precedence over state laws.
B.HIPAA is superseded by state laws when those laws provide greater privacy protection.
C.HIPAA is enforceable only in the absence of state and other relevant federal laws.
D.HIPAA applies only to organizations that receive financial assistance from the federal government.
B
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Dr. Melba Morrison, a licensed psychologist, conducts research and teaches several classes at a large university. In her social psychology class, she usually covers only material that is consistent with the results of her research. In terms of the ethical guidelines, this practice is ________________________.
A.ethical since it is up to Dr. Morrison to decide what to cover in her class
B.ethical as long as Dr. Morrison provides information about her policy in the class syllabus
C.questionable, but not addressed by ethical guidelines
D.unethical
D
Standard 7.03 of the APA's Ethics Code and Principle III.12 of the Canadian Code of Ethics addresses this issue. To be consistent with ethical requirements, when acting as an instructor or trainer, psychologists must present information accurately and in an unbiased way. Therefore, Dr. Morrison is acting unethically by presenting only information that is consistent with the results of her own research.
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During his third therapy session with Dr. Janet Bramwell, a client reveals that he is also in therapy with another psychologist. As an ethical psychologist, Dr. Bramwell should _______________________.
A.inform the client that he will have to make a choice in the near future about which therapist to continue seeing
B.inform the client that it would be unethical to continue seeing him while he is receiving treatment from another psychologist
C.call the other psychologist to inform him of the situation and obtain his permission to continue therapy with the client
D.discuss the treatment issues with the client during the next session
D
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Which of the following techniques would be most useful in evaluating the impact of an intervention on a patients' quality of life?
A.cost-feasibility analysis
B.cost-minimization analysis
C.cost-utility analysis
D.cost-benefit analysis
C
Cost analysis is conducted to determine the optimal allocation of financial resources. Experts distinguish between the four methods of cost analysis listed in the answers to this question. Cost-utility analysis is conducted to compare the costs and patient outcomes of an intervention, with outcomes including patients' duration and quality of life. Additional information on these methods is provided in the Ethics and Professional Issues chapter of the written study materials.
Answer A: Cost-feasibility analysis is used to determine the feasibility of an intervention based on the monetary and other resources it requires.
Answer B: As its name implies, cost-minimization analysis is conducted to identify the least costly option among several options that produce equivalent outcomes.
Answer D: As its name implies, a cost-benefit analysis is used to determine the relative costs and benefits of a particular intervention.
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When evaluating a defendant's competence to stand trial, the focus of the evaluation is on the defendant's _____________________________.
A.ability to distinguish right from wrong
B.ability to comprehend the charges against him/her
C.state of mind at the time he/she committed the crime
D.mental health diagnoses
B
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A psychologist's behavior as a private citizen _______________________.
A.can never serve as grounds for a charge of unethical conduct
B.may serve as grounds for a charge of unethical conduct if it violates the ethics code
C.may serve as grounds for a charge of unethical conduct if it compromises his/her professional responsibilities
D.will serve as grounds for a charge of unethical conduct when it violates the law
C
The introduction and Principle C of the APA Ethics Code and the Preamble of the Canadian Code of Ethics address a psychologist's private behaviors. The Introduction to the APA's Ethics Code states that the "purely private conduct of psychologists ... is not within the purview of the Ethics Code." However, Principle C (Professional and Scientific Responsibility) notes that when "psychologists' conduct may compromise their professional responsibilities or reduce the public's trust in psychology and psychologists," personal misconduct may constitute a violation of the Ethics Code. Similar language is included in the Preamble of the Canadian Code of Ethics.
Answer A: A psychologist's private behavior that compromises his or her professional responsibilities or negatively impacts the public's trust in the field may be grounds for an ethics violation.
Answer B: This answer initially may appear to be a reasonable choice, but it is incorrect because personal behavior is not governed by professional ethics codes.
Answer D: Minor legal infractions such as traffic violations are not likely to be grounds for a charge of unethical conduct.
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