Analysis of Ethical Violations in a Psychology Case Study

This case study examines a scenario involving a psychologist's ethical breaches, focusing on violations of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) principles and code of ethics. The analysis identifies various ethical dilemmas including rejection, abandonment, favoritism, lack of respect, ignorance, and privacy breaches. The psychologist's actions are scrutinized, highlighting instances of unprofessionalism, discrimination, and failure to maintain confidentiality. The study emphasizes the importance of ethical decision-making, outlining steps for addressing ethical issues and providing recommendations for a psychologist facing similar challenges. The case study underscores the significance of upholding professional standards, maintaining client confidentiality, and avoiding conflicts of interest to ensure ethical practice within the field of psychology. The case study also emphasizes the ethical decision-making process to guide psychologists in resolving ethical dilemmas effectively.

Running Head: PRINCIPLES AND CODE ETHICS 1
Principles and Code of Ethics
Name
Institution Affiliations

PRINCIPLES AND CODE OF ETHICS 2
Case Study
Ethical Dilemma
An ethical problem or dilemma is a state in which the involved parties are not required to
take a decision and on the other r hand they have to choose from different alternatives and they
must elucidate it ethical or unethical. With this regard as the question stipulated about adopting a
case study the second one is considered and analyzed as follows. This case study includes a form
of unethical conduct. It goes against the manner stipulated by A P S principles and code of
ethics. Ethical principles and laws are founded from three pillars which give the good outline of
what is expected in the psychological side of life. (Australian Psychological Society.2006).
The three pillars include respect for the human rights and self-respect of the public and
individuals, propriety and integrity of the psychologists to their clients. The principle respect for
the human rights and self-esteem of the society and persons gives the whole automation of the
community and justice of each member of the society. The principle of propriety incorporates the
aid of being in the better part of attaining a beneficial effect to the clients, showing concern,
responsibility to the clients and presentation of professionalism to the society. (APS, 2012)
The general principle of integrity stipulates a lot about the psychologist’s reputation to
the organization. It gives a good reflection about playing a good character and which is
admirable by the society. Psychologists who have a good attitude acquire a high degree trust in
the society and are thus presented as the best in the society. This conduct of the psychologists
earns them a great reputation in the society since everyone is after a quality service and which
satisfies their interest. (Carey et.al 2017).

PRINCIPLES AND CODE OF ETHICS 3
In the case study number two ethics of conduct are breached in the open and everything
looks in a mess though a psychologist is involved. The psychologists seem to have breached the
code of conduct in every aspect of him performing the work assigned. In this case study there are
various problems that the client is facing which include rejection, abandonment, misuse by the
persons of a high rank, favourism, nepotism, lack of respect, ignorance and hypocrisy.
(Kapoulitsas & Corcoran, 2017)
All the problems are articulated below and showing how each problem causes harm to the
individuals. The problems listed above are accompanied by examples from the case study to
justify how the ethics have been breached. According to the A P S the principles and ethical
conduct is very vital since it promotes and aids the members of the society to know what they
should expect from psychologists and what should not be done to them. Rejection is the act of
being excluded from the society deliberately. Rejection can be grouped in various cases
including interpersonal, romantic or peer.
It is more severe if the person undergoing rejection had a wrong experience before being
rejected. Rejection brings development of low self-esteem, loneliness and may eventually cause
depression to the affected party. It is evident in the case study that the patient exposes a history
of rejection to the psychologist. Abandonment is another subject of the client in the case study
number two. It is discussed as an expressive state in which individuals feel undesired, not
worthy, discarded, left behind and withdrawn from the society of the place they live with their
loved ones. It is scientifically known that abandonment is connected to the biological matters
where the brain is left at pain and damage. It is stipulated in the case study that the patient had a
long history of abandonment. (Winter & Collins, 2016).

PRINCIPLES AND CODE OF ETHICS 4
Favourism is unethical according to the A P S. Favourism is a misconduct of giving
unfair preferences to the members of the society due to various limitations such as race, age,
relation and many others to the expense of the other individual. It is evident in the case study
how the misconduct is carried out by the psychologist by helping Sophie successfully secure a
job because he knows the boss personally (Birch, 2014). The job is secured just because the
psychologist has good terms of friendship with the boss of the organization. It is more of
nepotism that favourism.
Respect has been breached with regard that the codes of ethics stipulated that people are
essentially valuable and their right respected by everyone. According to the A P S psychologists
involve themselves with the conducts that promote fairness and guarding of the person’s rights,
lawful right and ethical rights. Peoples dignity is highly ranked and contains right to participate
in the decisions affecting their lives. The case study in question has a deficiency of respect
instance where the characters include Mr. Biggy and Sophie. Mr. Biggy despite having Sophie as
his workmate he confronts her with nasty messages and emails concerning his attraction to her
yet Mr. Biggy has a wife (Chapdelaine, 2005).
Ignorance is another cause of misconduct demonstrated in the case study. Ignorance is a
heck that fails most of the ranks in the psychological world due to some restrictions such as
assuming of matters affecting others. Ignorance shows great mischief when identifying who
cares and who does not at all. According to the principles of ethics the psychologists should be
very conversant when dealing with their clients.it is evident in the case study how Dr. Smith
treats Sophie after knowing all the plans that his friend Mr. Biggy has for his client. Sophie tries
to talk about it to Dr. Smith who is her psychologist but he denies by steering the conversation to

PRINCIPLES AND CODE OF ETHICS 5
other irrelevant topics and ends up not helping Sophie solve the problem. (Allan, Love, & Wiley,
2010).
Privacy has been bleached such that matters concerning a client are discussed by the third
party. Lack of confidentiality brings doubt and lowers someone’s dignity even after striving hard
to get them on board Mr. Biggy and Dr. Smith hold a conservation about Sophie (Dr. Smith’s
client) about irrelevant things. Rather being a psychologist instead of Dr. Smith to deliver
valuable advice his fiend he leaves everything at a mess without helping the involved parties
(Kallaugher, 2016).
The cause of the psychologist ethical breach is all about friendship thus elucidation of
favourism, ignorance and failure to follow the jurisdiction administered to him by the laws Act
section 16 of the principles and codes of ethics. In the principles and code of ethics it is evident
that a psychologist should follow the act of portraying respect. Ethical standards administered to
him or her including professionalism competence and responsibility should not allow him take
that direction of being ignorant to the issues that he should articulate. Failure to take a good
check of the powers makes the psychologist breach the power administered to him. (Crawford,
Novak, 2018).
There are instances of ethical dilemma such that the psychologist has a difficult time to
choose who to consider first between Sophie and his friend Mr. Biggy and Sophie. This type of
ethical dilemma is called truth or happiness. The psychologists have two friend and both of them
requires some favor from him and he is unable to make a decision thus he ends up favoring one
party and therefore breaching the psychologist ethics and conduct. (Otto, Goldstein, &
Heilbronn, 2017).

PRINCIPLES AND CODE OF ETHICS 6
The psychologist behavior is not justifiable since he has not shown an excellent conduct
according to the case study in question. According to the A P S professional standard that does
not meet the requirement is an ethical and is a subject of concern. The above mischief portrayed
by the by the psychologist does not give a good image of what should be expected by the society
or the principles and code of ethics (Opazo, Aramburuzabala & García-Peinado, 2014). It is
evident that in the code of ethics that a psychologist should justify justice by avoiding at all cost
the discrimination on bases of stage of development, gender sexuality ethnicity and disability at
large as prescribed by the law. Privacy, confidentiality and concealing of the identity are other
key factors that a psychologist should follow to the latter to make the best experience. It is
evident in the case study since the psychologist has shown traces of ignorance,
unprofessionalism and discrimination. (Knapp, VandeCreek & Fingerhut, 2017).
A psychologist facing the same problem should use the formal way of solving the
problems. The summary of the steps of the ethical decision making process include; gathering of
facts, describing the ethical issues, identification of the affected parties in the society,
identification of the consequences, identification of the obligations, taking to concern character
and integrity, thinking in a creative manner, identification of potential ability, an eventually
develop a reasonable action as to why the action was taken and being prepared to answer any
questions going against the route taken. (Fisher, 2017).
This psychologist would be advised to take much time when gathering and analyzing
information before creating some solutions to the problem. The psychologist is advised to use his
jurisdiction as it should be in order to make good decisions without comprise. Having done this
all aspects will be well secured and of high quality.

PRINCIPLES AND CODE OF ETHICS 7
Reference
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(2017). The Australian Psychological Society's Apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait
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PRINCIPLES AND CODE OF ETHICS 8
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