Deck 4: Ethical Legal and Professional Issues

Question 1

Imagine that your client has mentioned a minor ethical offense committed by another psychologist. Which of the following factors is most important when considering filing a complaint against the offending psychologist?

A)Professional respect
B)Client confidentiality
C)Education of the psychologist
D)Ethical concerns

Answer 1

Client confidentiality

Question 2

A new ethical code of conduct was officially adopted by the APA in 2002, replacing the previous code that was adopted in 1992. There were a number of changes made, including altering the number and content of both general principles and ethical standards. Which of the following is NOT one of the five general principles in the 2002 code?

A)Fidelity and responsibility
B)Respect for people's rights and dignity
C)Competence
D)Beneficence and nonmaleficence

Answer 2

Competence

Question 3

A new ethical code of conduct was officially adopted by the APA in 2002, replacing the previous code that was adopted in 1992. There were a number of changes made, including altering the number and content of both general principles and ethical standards. One of the new ethical standards, privacy and confidentiality, deals in part with matters related to legal proceedings. In which of the following legal proceedings is patient confidentiality waived?

A)Subpoenas
B)Court orders
C)Court-appointed evaluation
D)Court-ordered therapy

Answer 3

Court-appointed evaluation

Question 4

The fourth ethical standard of the official ethics code adopted by the APA in 2002 deals with privacy and confidentiality. In most cases, confidentiality must not be breached except with client release of information or when otherwise mandated by law. If a psychologist feels that another individual is in danger of physical violence from her client, she is required to notify that individual. The legal guideline to this particular action is known as:

A)Abuse reporting
B)Tarasoff statute
C)Psychological safety code
D)Havey mandate

Question 5

The ninth ethical standard of the official ethics code adopted by the APA in 2002 deals with assessment. Generally, a psychologist must secure informed consent prior to completing an assessment. There are three exceptions to this rule noted in the code. Which of the following is NOT one of those exceptions?

A)When assessment is being conducted to determine decisional capacity
B)When assessment is mandated by law
C)When assessment is part of a routine activity in which informed consent is implied (such as applying for a job)
D)When assessment is conducted on an individual not yet accepted as a patient or client

Question 6

The APA ethics code has evolved over time to reflect awareness of differences between people. Which of the following terms refers to a view that accounts for cultural background, as opposed to being culturally neutral?

A)Etic
B)Emic
C)Epic
D)Mcet

Question 7

In the case of conducting evaluation in child custody disagreements, which of the following is the most desirable relationship between the psychologist who will conduct the evaluation and all others involved in the process (child and parents)?

A)If the family has been in therapy together, their current psychologist should conduct an evaluation.
B)If the child has been in therapy, his psychologist should conduct the evaluation.
C)A psychologist who does not know any of the family members should conduct the evaluation.
D)A psychologist who does not have a current therapeutic relationship with any of the family members, but who will begin one after the case is resolved, should conduct the evaluation.

Question 8

The first ethical standard of the 2002 official ethics code addresses resolution of ethical issues. There are a number of options when a psychologist feels it necessary to take steps to correct misuse of their work. Imagine that you learn one of your colleagues has been under undue stress lately and had sex with a current client once. He feels guilty and intends to not do it again. What do you do with this information?

A)Talk to him about his behavior and encourage him to seek help to resolve his current issues
B)Talk to his client and inform her of her right to report him to the ethics board
C)Make a report to the ethics board yourself
D)Discuss the matter with another colleague to decide if you should make a report

Question 9

The second ethical standard of the official ethics code adopted by the APA in 2002 deals with boundaries of competence and offers a number of options for psychologists who are concerned about their limitations in treating certain new or current clients. Imagine that you have a client who would like to try hypnosis and you feel that she would benefit greatly from this. However, you only recently learned this technique and do not have experience applying it to your professional work yet. What is the best course of action for you to take?

A)Consultation
B)Referring out
C)Training
D)Supervision

Question 10

The second ethical standard of the official ethics code adopted by the APA in 2002 deals with boundaries of competence and offers a number of options for psychologists who are concerned about their limitations in treating certain new or current clients. Imagine that you become aware of being attracted to a client shortly after you begin treatment. What is your best course of action?

A)Referring out
B)Training
C)Supervision
D)Consultation

Question 11

The tenth ethical standard of the 2002 ethics code adopted by the APA presents guidelines to therapy itself and the therapeutic relationship. One of those guidelines discusses sexual intimacy with a former client. According to this standard, how long must a psychologist wait before it is acceptable to become sexually involved with a former client?

A)Six months
B)One year
C)Two years
D)It is never allowable

Question 12

Euthanasia, the merciful ending of life in cases of fatal illness or disease, occurs in different contexts and with varying degrees of approval. Deliberately ending someone's life based on their wishes, or by the decision of someone with durable power of attorney, is known as:

A)Authorized euthanasia
B)Active euthanasia
C)Legal euthanasia
D)Passive euthanasia

Question 13

What is one instance that might cause a clinician to break the strong code of client confidentiality?

A)Feeling the need to talk
B)Duty to warn
C)When the therapist is going on vacation
D)All of the above

Question 14

Why might a client and counselor mutually agree to terminate treatment?

A)Treatment goals were achieved
B)Client being referred to a different counselor
C)Contractual limits have been met
D)All of the above

Question 15

When do clinicians need to refer clients to other professionals?

A)When a possible underlying medical condition is discovered
B)When additional concerns discovered are not within the clinician's expertise
C)When the clinician is having a bad day
D)A and B

Question 16

At a mental health clinic, a patient may see Dr. Smitty, who is able to prescribe medications for a psychiatric issue and provide some psychotherapy, or a patient may see Dr. Roads, who is able to provide psychological testing to further assess the patient's issue and provide some psychotherapy. Based on this information, which of the following best fits the type of mental health practitioner that Dr. Smitty and Dr. Roads are?

A)Dr. Smitty and Dr. Roads are both psychiatrists.
B)Dr. Smitty is a psychiatrist, while Dr. Roads is a psychologist.
C)Dr. Smitty is a psychologist, while Dr. Roads is a psychiatrist.
D)Dr. Smitty and Dr. Roads are both psychologists.

Question 17

If a counselor is aware that a client is engaging in using illegal drugs, is the counselor bound by law to notify the proper authorities of this activity?

A)No, the counselor should try to get in on the action.
B)No, the only way the counselor should break confidentiality is if the client's activities will likely do harm to himself or herself, another person, or property.
C)Yes, any illegal activity should be reported to the proper authorities.
D)Yes, but it should only be done anonymously so as not to lose the trust of the client.

Question 18

Duty to Warn, an essential part of professional ethics in the mental health field, stemmed from what Supreme Court decision?

A)Jackson vs. Indiana
B)O'Conner vs. Donaldson
C)Lockett vs. Ohio
D)Tarasoff vs. Regents of University of California

Question 19

Insanity is a legal term (not a diagnosis) used in court cases to determine if a person can be held responsible for his or her actions. How is this pertinent to the world of psychology? Choose all that apply.

A)Psychologists make the decision whether to label an individual insane or not
B)Deeming an individual as "insane" indicates presence of underlying mental illness
C)Clinicians, counselors, and psychologists are frequently called upon to impart evidence regarding mental status to the court
D)All of the above

Question 20

As a counselor, what other agencies could you work with in a crisis situation?

A)Law enforcement agencies
B)FEMA
C)State Health and Human Services
D)All of the above

Question 21

What is an example of a dual relationship within psychotherapy?

A)Your client is your dentist
B)Your therapist is also seeing your sister
C)All of the above
D)None of the above

Question 22

A therapist, a police officer, and a judge are all examples of regulated roles. Which is an example of an unregulated role that is assumed informally?

A)A sister
B)An Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor
C)Both A and B
D)None of the above

Question 23

How would you describe a dual relationship in one word?

A)Ethical
B)Unethical
C)Depends
D)Nice

Question 24

What is not a fundamental assumption of ethical awareness in counseling?

A)Not all counselors make mistakes about boundary decisions
B)It is a continual process
C)Research is forever changing
D)Consultation is necessary

Question 25

Ethical decision-making is a vital part of counselor training. Ethical decision-making is best understood in the construct of moral principles. Fidelity is one moral principle that serves as part of the foundation of counselor ethical decision-making. Fidelity refers to:

A)Acting in a fair, and unbiased manner
B)Trust between counselor and client
C)The responsibility to assist in promoting client welfare
D)All of the above

Question 26

Therapist Jim is presented with a particular client situation, where he must decide the most appropriate action to take. Jim would reflect upon his __________ to facilitate his decision making process.

A)Morals
B)Education
C)Ethics
D)Values

Question 27

Diversity training for counselors is essential to providing effective therapy. Diversity training is necessary in which areas besides working with clients of a different racial or ethnic background. Choose all that apply.

A)Chronological Age
B)Sexual Orientation
C)Economic Class
D)None of the above

Question 28

Throughout a counselor's career, it is imperative that they be introspective, as well as seek personal counseling when needed. Exploration of personal __________ is (are) vital for counselors to pay attention to, as a way of ensuring the client's best interest is served.

A)Cultural beliefs
B)Biases
C)Self-care
D)All of the above

Question 29

As a client, it is important for the clinician to inform you of these things during your first session:

A)Client rights, confidentiality, and diagnosis
B)Client rights, confidentiality, and fees
C)Confidentiality, fees, and treatment plan
D)Therapeutic approach, treatment plan, and diagnosis

Question 30

'Informed Consent' in a counseling situations means__________.

A)The clinician informs the client they will meet with them each week
B)Outlines the clinician's responsibilities to the client
C)Outlines the client's responsibilities to the clinician
D)Both B and C

Question 31

What method is often used in securing informed consent?

A)Finger print document
B)Written consent
C)Oral consent
D)Both B and C

Question 32

Confidentiality is an important aspect of the therapeutic relationship. Why?

A)It helps clients feel safe in treatment
B)It encourages clients to share material that might be painful or embarrassing
C)It helps clinicians trust the client
D)Both A and B

Question 33

When a counselor is seeing clients under supervision, what does the client need to know about the arrangement?

A)How often the counselor meets with the supervisor
B)That the counselor is being supervised and will be consulting with a licensed clinician to discuss clients status
C)The client does not need to know the counselor is being supervised
D)None of the above

Question 34

What rights do clients have in relation to the testing process?

A)No special 'rights'
B)Just to know when a test is being given and the scores
C)Informed consent, signed release for any information given to others
D)The right to payment for participation

Question 35

Counseling practitioners may fully discuss clients with which of the following?

A)Their mothers
B)Other counselors in the coffee room
C)The client's mother
D)None of the above

Question 36

Counselors have a responsibility to protect clients who threaten suicide or any other form of physical harm against themselves. This is usually called ____________.

A)Responsible reporting
B)Duty to warn
C)Duty to respond to threats
D)Breaking confidentiality

Question 37

Emil's patient, Beth, revealed today that she wants to kill her boss. Beth said that she intends to leave Dr. Emil's office, pick up her gun from the gun cabinet at her father's house, and then confront her boss in the parking lot at work after he returns from vacation next week. (Her boss is currently in Europe with his wife.) Beth believes that her boss is the cause of all her pain and her life would greatly improve if her boss were dead. What should Dr. Emil do?

A)Dr. Emil has a responsibility to maintain confidentiality. Thus, while he can try to talk Beth out of this plan, there's nothing more he can do unless she agrees to allow him to tell someone.
B)Dr. Emil should inform Beth that he will need to terminate the therapeutic relationship if she continues to talk like this. Meeting with a patient who is talking about killing her boss is an incredible liability and Dr. Emil should not continue to see her.
C)Dr. Emil has a duty to warn Beth's boss. While Beth has the right to confidentiality, in most states when another person's life is threatened, the provider is allow to breech confidentiality in order to keep other people safe. In this case, Dr. Emil would be acting to keep Beth's boss safe. Thus, Dr. Emil should locate where in Europe Beth's boss is staying and provide a warning not to come back to the United States until Beth changes her mind.
D)Dr. Emil has a duty to warn Beth's boss. While Beth has the right to confidentiality, in most states when another person's life is threatened, the provider is allow to breech confidentiality in order to keep other people safe. In this case, Dr. Emil would be acting to keep Beth's boss safe. Dr. Emil should warn Beth's boss when he returns to the United States if Beth's plan remains unchanged.

Question 38

Your 17-year-old client tells you that she has formed a sexual relationship with her supervisor who is over the age of 21. She informs you that she is in love with this man and that their relationship is conceptual. What should you do?

A)Nothing. It is her wish to be in this relationship.
B)Tell your clients parents about the relationship.
C)Contact your client's supervisor and ask him to end the relationship.
D)Contact police and inform them about the relationship.

Question 39

You practice psychology in a rural area and have just found out that your client's husband is going to be your son's new teacher. What should you do?

A)Nothing. A situation like this is never unethical.
B)End therapy with your client.
C)You can continue seeing this client as long as you make sure that the situation is not going to be harmful or exploitative to the client or affect your objectivity.
D)This would only be unethical if it happened in a big city

Question 40

When considering multiple relationships, Gottlieb recommends that psychologists consider the following 3 factors:

A)Do they live in a rural community where the client will have difficulties finding another psychologist? Are they are likely to enter into a long-term relationship? Will they will enter into another professional relationship in the future?
B)Are there going to be any power differences between the psychologist and the other person? Is there a possibility that the psychologist and the client will enter into a different kind of non-professional relationship in the future?
C)Are there going to be any power differences between the psychologist and the other person? Are they are likely to enter into a long-term relationship? Are they likely to enter into another professional relationship in the future
D)Are they likely to enter into another professional relationship in the future? Do they live in a rural community where the client will have difficulties finding another psychologist? Are there going to be any power differences between the psychologist and the other person?

Question 41

A psychologist is considering asking his client to give a testimony of their therapy experience. This is ethical if:

A)The client is not pressured to give such testimony
B)The person in question is no longer a client
C)The agent asks the client to give such testimony instead of the psychologist
D)The person is not a client yet but only contemplating becoming a client

Question 42

If the client does not pay his psychologist, the psychologist can:

A)Withhold the client's records even in emergency situations until the client has paid
B)Use a collection agency to collect his fees even without talking to the client first about his intentions
C)Enter into a barter agreement with the client if the agreement is not exploitative or clinically contraindicated
D)Terminate his services even in emergency situations

Question 43

The difference between a fact witness and an expert witness is that an expert witness:

A)Is paid for his services unlike a fact witness that does not get paid
B)Possesses superior knowledge regarding a subject in which he or she is trained compared to a fact witness who does not have to have such training
C)Testifies regarding what he or she has seen or heard
D)Is not allowed to express opinions compared to fact witnesses who can offer them

Question 44

A cost-benefit analysis:

A)Involves comparing the costs and benefits of an intervention in monetary terms
B)Is useful when the interventions to be compared have similar goals, but it is not possible to assign a monetary value to their outcomes
C)Involves evaluating interventions by comparing their costs with the value of their outcomes in terms of healthy years of life
D)Is used to evaluate the feasibility of one or more interventions on the basis of the monetary and other resources they would require

Question 45

Sexual misconducts are most common:

A)When the client is around the same age as the therapist
B)When the psychologist is female
C)When the client is 20 to 25-years-old
D)When the therapist is 42 to 44-years-old

Question 46

Which one of the items below is the preferred term for describing sexuality in scientific articles?

A)Homosexual
B)Sexual preference
C)Sexual orientation
D)Straight

Question 47

Under what circumstances are psychologist NOT allowed to record the voices of the participants without obtaining consent?

A)When the research design includes deception
B)When the research consists of naturalistic observations in public places
C)When voice recording is essential to the study question
D)When it is not anticipated that the recording will cause harm

Question 48

When using deception, researchers are required to inform participants:

A)Before the beginning of the study
B)No later than at the conclusion of the data collection
C)At the conclusion of the participants participation
D)Deception is never allowed