Use of practice guidelines and position statements in ethical decision making.

Abstract

Professional ethics guide appropriate professional conduct through their reflection of the shared values of the profession. Professional ethics codes, such as the American Psychological Association's (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (henceforth, APA Ethics Code) are intended to provide guidance across psychological activities, contexts, and specialties. As such, they must, by necessity, be rather general in nature. The APA Ethics Code provides aspirational general ethical principles and enforceable ethical standards. Despite the value of these principles and directives, psychologists commonly need more specific guidance for establishing and maintaining ethical practices in their specific professional contexts. The APA Ethics Code acknowledges in its Introduction and Applicability section the broad nature of the code and the importance of considering additional resources. The APA and other professional organizations provide practice guidelines and position statements that clarify appropriate professional behavior in specific aspects of practice. Although all U.S. psychologists are aware of the APA Ethics Code, far fewer are as familiar with the practice guidelines and position statements of professional organizations, and fewer utilize such valuable resources in their ethical decision making. Practice guidelines and position statements from professional organizations complement ethics codes and facilitate ethical decision making. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).