Department of Psychology

PSY322; ETHICAL ISSUES IN PSYCHOLOGY

SPRING 2021

Instructor Sadia Khan

Office Hours 8:00 AM – 4: 00 PM (MONDAY-FRIDAY)
Email s.khan20041990@gmail.com
Mobile / WhatsApp No. 03230432016

Course Basics
Credit Hours 3
Lecture(s) Number of Lectures(s) per Week 1 Duration 3 hours
Type of Course Core

Course Description
This course is an introduction to ethical issues inherent in the conduct of psychological
research and practice. Topics on ethical issues and dilemmas relevant in different fields of
studies, including therapy, clinical and organizational assessment, training, consulting, and
forensic issues will be covered during the semester.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course students should be able to:
1. Grasp the communalities as well as the differences between the concepts of
ethics, morality, and law.
2. Familiarize with the Codes of Conduct and Ethical Principles of APA
3. Disseminate contemporary ethical and professional conduct issues facing
psychologists as both researchers and practitioners.
4. Create awareness concerning ethical issues and dilemmas.
5. Understand and apply guidelines for evaluating and resolving ethical
dilemmas.
6. Understand and practically apply the multiplicity of roles, responsibilities,
and involvements of the professional psychologist.
7. Develop self-awareness concerning their own biases, attitudes, values, and
beliefs, as part of a greater strategy for maintaining high levels of
professional and ethical conduct.
Course Contents

Lecture Topic Sessional

No. work
1 Introduction to the course; Discussion on
 1. Course objectives
2. Familiarization with class
3. Expectations and concerns
4. Introduction; basic need of ethics in psychology
2 GENERAL PRINCIPLES
A: Beneficence and No maleficence
B: Fidelity and Responsibility
C: Integrity Principle
D: Justice Principle
E: Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity
3 The 10 ETHICAL STANDARDS overview
4 1. Resolving Ethical Issues
2. Competence
5 3. Human Relations
4. Privacy and Confidentiality
6 Case discussions (class activity)
7 MID TERM EXAMINATION
8 5. Advertising and Other Public Statements
6. Record Keeping and Fees
8 7. Education and Training
8. Research and Publication
9-10 9. Assessment
10. Therapy
12-13  AMENDMENTS TO THE 2002 “ETHICAL PRINCIPLES Of
PSYCHOLOGISTS AND CODE Of CONDUCT” IN 2010 AND
2016
14-15 Course revision
16 FINAL TERM EXAMINATION
Educational Resources
Textbook American Psychological Association (2002). "Ethical principles of psychologists
Referenc and code of conduct" (PDF). American Psychologist. 57 (12): 1060–
e 1073. Doi:10.1037/0003-066x.57.12.1060. PMID 12613157
Articles 1. Willis, G. M. (2018). Why call someone by what we don't want them to be?
The ethics of labeling in forensic/correctional psychology. Psychology,
Crime & Law, 24(7), 727-743.

2. Craw, M. J., & Catanese, S. A. (2020). Identifying points of engagement

versus disengagement when consulting during crisis negotiations: a flexible
model for applying the ethics code. Journal of police and criminal
psychology, 35(1), 92-97.

3. Rocchio, L. M. (2020). Ethical and professional considerations in the

forensic assessment of complex trauma and dissociation. Psychological
injury and law, 13, 124-134.

4. Pope, K. S., & Vetter, V. A. (1992). Ethical dilemmas encountered by

members of the American Psychological Association: A national survey.
American Psychologist, 47(3), 397.

5. Fiske, A., Henningsen, P., & Buyx, A. (2019). Your robot therapist will see
you now: ethical implications of embodied artificial intelligence in
psychiatry, psychology, and psychotherapy. Journal of medical Internet
research, 21(5), e13216.

6. Stoll, J., Müller, J. A., & Trachsel, M. (2020). Ethical issues in online
psychotherapy: A narrative review. Frontiers in psychiatry, 10, 993.
Websites  Classic 9 (unethical) experiments in psychology;
https://youtube.com/playlist?
list=PLNuonMqmV4tu3DyJ6y6qvMTCMKwkLlewl
 Psychology Experiment - The Monster Study (One Of The Most Unethical
Study Ever Conducted) ; https://youtu.be/h5yPwWybgD4
 Kitty Genovese Murder Case Analysis & The Bystander Effect;
https://youtu.be/bQrTJp25vfw

Grading Scheme

Grade Percentage Grade Points

A 85 – 100 4.0
A- 80 – 84 3.7
B+ 75 – 79 3.3
B 70 – 74 3.0
B- 65 – 69 2.7
C+ 61 – 64 2.3
C 58 – 60 2.0
 C- 55 – 57 1.7
F Below 54 0.0

Plagiarism Policy:

Types of Academic Plagiarism:

1. Copying someone else’s work or ideas and submitting it as your own without acknowledging
the source.
2. Allowing other students(s) in your class to copy your work and submit their own.
3. Purchasing an assignment from an online service, and submitting it as your own.
4. Paraphrasing or rephrasing someone else’s work without proper in-text citation and references.
5. Translating the work from one language to another without proper in-text citation and
references.
6. Provide a fake bibliographical information source in the assignment.

Students who violate any rules on academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary measures,
including the possibility of failing a course. Dishonesty harms not only the individual, but all
students, and the integrity of the University. Therefore, strict enforcement of policies on academic
dishonesty are necessary.