M2 Activity 3

Analyze each case and discuss the following:

1. The general ethical standards and procedures violated by the

psychometrician/psychologist. Explain your answer.
2. The ethical standards and procedures in assessment that were violated by the
psychometrician/psychologist. Explain your answer.
3. Introduce measures to resolve ethical issues.

CASE 1

Jackson is a newly hired psychologist in the XYZ clinic. He recognizes the fact that he is not yet
adept in providing psychological assessment to clients since he just started with her advanced
course in Psychological Testing. He needs experience, hence he conducts testing and
assessment with his nieces and nephews using the tests and assessment tools that he will use
to her future clients. He believes that there is no harm if he will practice the use of these tests or
tools to non-clients.

CASE 2

Mark feels uncomfortable with the fact that he needs to undergo testing as a requirement for the
renewal of his license as security agent. He has been taking the same tests over and over and
has gone bored with the procedure. He plans to just get the photocopies of the protocols and
answer them at home since he was able to get copies of the answer keys. It is a waste of his
time to spend the whole day in the testing room, since everyone knows that this procedure is
just for formality sake.
 Case General Ethical Standards
and Procedures Violated
Case 1 PRINCIPLE IV: Professional
and Scientific
Responsibilities to Society
B. The discipline’s
responsibility to use
psychological knowledge for
beneficial purposes
and to protect such
knowledge from being
misused, used incompetently,
or made useless.
Why: Because as a
Psychologist, Jackson should
have considered that he is
not yet proficient and still
have an ongoing course in
psychological assessment
which he still persistently
conducted the tests with his
nieces and nephews. As
stated above in item b, use
psychological knowledge for
beneficial purposes and to
protect such knowledge from
being used incompetently.
Ethical Standards Introduce measures to
and Procedures in Resolve Ethical Issues.
Assessment that
were Violated
I. Assessment by 1. As a Psychology
Unqualified Persons student, I personally
think that
1. We do not promote professionals like
the use of Jackson (even
assessment tools though he is not yet
and methods by qualified for doing
unqualified persons psychological
except for training assessments) shall
purposes with continue his
adequate education and
supervision. course before
conducting the test
and that specifically,
Why: "He recognizes not with his niece
the fact that he is not and nephews nor
yet adept in providing any of the family
psychological members. Aside
assessment to clients from this, if he wants
since he just started and needs to
with her advanced conduct some
course in testing, supervision
Psychological Testing. and mentoring is a
He needs experience" must– until Jackson
From this case, gains sufficient
Jackson is technically proficiency, he
considered as an should seek
unqualified person supervision and
using the test to guidance from a
conduct with his nieces qualified
and nephews knowing psychologist who
that he is not yet ready can oversee his
to use the test, he still assessment activities
conducted it without and provide
supervision. constructive
feedback. Third, he
must always
consider his
knowledge before
doing any actions ad
must comply with the
ethical standards
and principles
governing
psychological

Case 2 PRINCIPLE IV: Professional
and Scientific
Responsibilities to Society
B. The discipline’s
responsibility to use
psychological knowledge for
beneficial purposes
and to protect such
knowledge from being
misused, used incompetently,
or made useless.
Why: Firstly, Mark is not a
psychologist nor the
psychometrician in this case
and it is clearly stated that he
is a security agent which
concludes that the test-users
(psychologists,
psychometrician,
psychiatrists) or the qualified
persons are the one who
violated the ethics as they
were unable to protect such
knowledge from being
misused and used
incompetently.
assessments, such
as those outlined by
the American
Psychological
Association (APA) or
relevant professional
organizations in his
region.
I. Assessment by In Mark’s case, with the
Unqualified Persons view of the test-users,
stricter or Enhanced
2. We ensure that test Security Protocols shall
protocols, their be alarming to the
interpretations and test-users. Qualified
all other records are professionals, including
kept secured from psychologists,
unqualified persons. psychometricians, and
psychiatrists, should
Why: As stated in I. establish and enforce
Assessment by stringent security
Unqualified persons, protocols for all
we shall ensure that psychological tests,
test protocols, protocols, answer keys,
interpretations and and related materials.
other records are Access to sensitive
secure. Hence, with materials should be
this case, test-users restricted to authorized
are unable to keep the personnel only, and
test protocols (copy of secure storage
answer keys) secured mechanisms. Aside from
from unqualified the measures stated, the
persons which is Mark. society at large must
engage in public
awareness campaigns to
highlight the importance
of protecting
psychological knowledge
and the consequences of
its misuse or
incompetence as to avoid
and learn to be
competent, honest, and
have integrity as a person
as in Mark’s point of view.