Abstract
Do psychologists' ethical beliefs depend upon client characteristics? In the current study, licensed psychologists were surveyed regarding their ethical beliefs using an adaptation of a frequently used list of therapist behaviors rated for ethicality (Pope, Tabachnick, & Keith-Spiegel, 1987). In the current survey, the age, sex, and diagnostic severity of the hypothetical client were specified and varied between participants. Results indicated a significant interaction between client age and client sex, such that older male clients elicited lower overall ethicality ratings than did younger male clients, but older female clients elicited higher overall ethicality ratings than did younger female clients. This finding was especially robust when a subset of therapist behaviors involving assertive or discomforting therapist actions was considered.
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