Chapter 5: Ethical and Professional Issues in Clinical Psychology

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. The first APA code of ethics was published in ______.

A. 1896

B. 1953

C. 1990

D. 2002

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: American Psychological Association Ethical Code

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. Two amendments were added to the APA code of ethics in 2010. These amendments emphasize that ______.

A. psychologists cannot use ethical standards from the code to justify or defend the violation of human rights

B. psychologists must provide both digital and paper copies of informed consent documents to telepsychology patients

C. the APA code of ethics is to be followed even when it conflicts with local, state, or federal law

D. clinical psychologists must obtain a postdoctoral degree in psychopharmacology in order to receive prescription privileges

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: American Psychological Association Ethical Code

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Since the first edition of the APA ethics code, ______ revised editions of the ethical code have been published.

A. zeroth

B. second

C. ninth

D. 20

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: American Psychological Association Ethical Code

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. The most recent edition of the APA ethics code was published in ______.

A. 1962

B. 1976

C. 1990

D. 2002

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: American Psychological Association Ethical Code

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. The current edition of the APA ethical code includes two distinct sections: ______ and ______.

A. General Principles; Ethical Standards

B. Research Standards; Practice Standards

C. Assessment Code; Treatment Code

D. Aspirational Goals; Enforceable Principles

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Aspirational and Enforceable

Difficulty Level: Easy

6. The ______ section of the current ethical code includes aspirational ideals regarding the behavior of clinical psychologists, as opposed to enforceable rules of conduct.

A. Ethical Standards

B. Treatment Standards

C. Research Standards

D. General Principles

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Aspirational and Enforceable

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. The ______ section of the current ethical code includes enforceable rules of conduct, as opposed to aspirational ideals regarding the behavior of clinical psychologists.

A. Ethical Standards

B. General Principles

C. Research Standards

D. Assessment Code

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Aspirational and Enforceable

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. Which of the following is NOT among the ethical principles listed in the most recent edition of the APA ethical code?

A. beneficence and nonmaleficence

B. integrity

C. Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity

D. fair billing and reporting

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Aspirational and Enforceable

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. The idea that clinical psychologists strive to benefit the patients with whom they work, while at the same time ensuring they do not harm their patients, is best captured by which ethical principle?

A. beneficence and nonmaleficence

B. integrity

C. Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity

D. fair billing and reporting

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Aspirational and Enforceable

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. Dr. Martin, a clinical neuropsychologist, works diligently to be accurate, honest, and truthful as he provides services to his patients. Which ethical principle is Dr. Martin upholding?

A. beneficence and nonmaleficence

B. integrity

C. Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity

D. fair billing and reporting

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Aspirational and Enforceable

Difficulty Level: Medium

11. According to recommended models of ethical decision-making (e.g., Fisher, 2017), it is important to ______.

A. make ethical decisions as quickly as possible

B. consult any law or professional guidelines relevant to the situation at hand

C. avoid consulting with colleagues

D. refrain from altering or revising an ethical plan once one is established

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Ethical Decision Making

Difficulty Level: Medium

12. Which of the following is TRUE regarding ethical decision-making by clinical psychologists?

A. Consulting with colleagues about ethically challenging situations is recommended, as long as client confidentiality is protected

B. Consulting with colleagues about ethically challenging situations is recommended, and because the information is being shared with other qualified professionals, the client’s confidentiality need not be protected

C. Consulting with colleagues about ethically challenging situations is generally discouraged

D. Consulting with colleagues about ethically challenging situations is recommended, provided such colleagues are licensed in the same state as the psychologist with questions

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Ethical Decision Making

Difficulty Level: Medium

13. For the profession of clinical psychology, confidentiality ______.

A. is absolute

B. should be negotiated with a client at the onset of treatment

C. does not apply to legal minors

D. can ethically be broken in specific situations

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Confidentiality

Difficulty Level: Medium

14. Tatiana Tarasoff ______.

A. is the chair of the committee that created the most recent edition of the APA code of ethics

B. was the author of the tripartite model of personal identity

C. is a leading researcher in the field of informed consent for psychotherapy

D. was a college student whose murder resulted in the creation of the duty to warn

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Tarasoff and the Duty to Warn

Difficulty Level: Easy

15. The landmark court case that established the duty to warn for psychologists was ______.

A. Brown v. The Board of Education

B. Hughes v. The APA Board of Ethics

C. Poddar v. The State of New Mexico

D. Tarasoff v. The Regents of the University of California

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Tarasoff and the Duty to Warn

Difficulty Level: Easy

16. For contemporary psychotherapists, the most relevant implication of the finding in the Tarasoff case is the ______.

A. duty to warn

B. obligation to protect client confidentiality without exception

C. importance of continuing education for licensed psychologists

D. importance of maintaining test security by not allowing tests to be taken outside of the professional office setting

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Tarasoff and the Duty to Warn

Difficulty Level: Easy

17. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. An ethical clinical psychologist should never break a child client’s confidentiality to report child abuse

B. Less than half of the states in the United States have laws requiring mental health professionals to break confidentiality to report known or suspected child abuse

C. A psychologist must abide by a child client’s request to withhold information about treatment from parents

D. Therapists working with child clients often attempt to negotiate an arrangement in which parents will not be informed of what the child discloses except under specified conditions

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: When the Client Is a Child or Adolescent

Difficulty Level: Medium

18. According to the most recent edition of the APA ethical code, it is necessary to obtain ______ before proceeding with research, psychotherapy, or assessment.

A. consent

B. assent

C. informed assent

D. informed consent

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Informed Consent

Difficulty Level: Easy

19. Based on the APA code of ethics, informed consent for psychotherapy should occur ______.

A. once, at the onset of treatment

B. twice, before the diagnostic interview and once a treatment plan is created

C. as needed throughout the therapy process

D. only if requested by the client

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Informed Consent

Difficulty Level: Medium

20. According to the standards related to informed consent in the most recent edition of the APA ethical code, when should psychologists inform clients about psychotherapy?

A. “as early as is feasible in the therapeutic relationship”

B. “no later than the third meeting between psychologist and client”

C. “prior to the first meeting between psychologist and client”

D. “only at the request of the client”

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Informed Consent

Difficulty Level: Medium

21. Informed consent regarding ______ is best understood as a one-time event, but informed consent regarding ______ is best understood as an ongoing process.

A. assessment; research

B. behavioral psychotherapy; psychodynamic psychotherapy

C. research; psychotherapy

D. psychotherapy; research and assessment

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Informed Consent

Difficulty Level: Medium

22. According to the APA ethical code, which of these scenarios is unlikely to be considered a multiple relationship?

A. A psychologist sees an adult client in psychotherapy and also engages in sexual intimacies with that client

B. A psychologist conducts an assessment with a client and also engages in a nonsexual friendship with that client

C. A psychologist sees a child client in psychotherapy and also enters into a business partnership with that client’s parent

D. A psychologist realizes that his secretary’s second cousin works at the bakery he often frequents

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Defining Multiple Relationships

Difficulty Level: Medium

23. According to the current edition of the APA ethical code, psychologists do not engage in sexual intimacies with current therapy clients ______.

A. unless the client has attended therapy for less than five sessions, in which case the client can be transferred to another therapist

B. under any circumstances

C. unless both the therapist and client live in a very small community where there are few other psychologists or potential sexual partners available

D. unless the sexual intimacies are initiated by the client rather than the psychologist

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Defining Multiple Relationships

Difficulty Level: Easy

24. According to the most recent edition of the APA ethical code, which of the following statements is TRUE regarding multiple relationships?

A. All multiple relationships are unethical

B. Multiple relationships are unethical only when the client is harmed by them

C. Multiple relationships are unethical only when they can be reasonably expected to cause impairment in the psychologist or risk exploitation or harm of the client

D. Multiple relationships are unethical only when they are sexual in nature

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: What Makes Multiple Relationships Unethical?

Difficulty Level: Medium

25. A clinical psychologist who is sufficiently capable, skilled, experienced, and expert to adequately complete the professional tasks they undertake is fulfilling the ethical standard of ______.

A. resolving ethical issues

B. competence

C. multiple relationships

D. justice

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Competence

Difficulty Level: Easy

26. Dr. Goldfarb is contacted by Shannon, an adult seeking personality testing for herself. Dr. Goldfarb has extensive experience with child personality assessment, but it has been some years since he administered an adult personality instrument. Which of the following responses could Dr. Goldfarb give to Shannon and remain in compliance with the APA code of ethics?

A. “I’m quite experienced with personality assessment, so I’d be happy to schedule an appointment with you, Shannon.”

B. “I usually conduct personality assessments with children, but I have a colleague who will loan me his adult assessment materials, so we can schedule an appointment.”

C. “I generally only perform personality assessments with children. I can refer you to a colleague who has a good deal of experience with adult personality assessment.”

D. “It has been several years since I’ve conducted an assessment of adult personality. As such, I’m happy to offer a discounted price to conduct your assessment.”

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Competence

Difficulty Level: Medium

27. Many state licensing boards have ______ regulations, which are consistent with the APA code of ethic’s mandate that psychologists develop and maintain their competence.

A. cultural competence

B. seminar attendance

C. continuing education

D. burnout

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Competence

Difficulty Level: Easy

28. Burnout ______.

A. can significantly impair the competence of a clinical psychologist

B. occurs at high levels in less than 1% of psychologists, according to survey data

C. is less likely to occur when a clinical psychologist is overcommitted to clients or earns a low salary

D. is surprisingly more common among therapists who believe they have sufficient social support

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Competence

Difficulty Level: Medium

29. Compared to clinical psychologists who work and live in large communities, clinical psychologists who work and live in small communities are likely to find the ethical issue of ______ especially challenging.

A. multiple relationships

B. maintaining confidentiality

C. informed consent

D. test security

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Ethics in Small Communities

Difficulty Level: Easy

30. Boundary crossings ______.

A. are more severe than boundary violations

B. often seem minor and harmless but set a precedent for more serious boundary violations

C. are never unethical if initiated by the client

D. are never unethical if approved by the client

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: What Makes Multiple Relationships Unethical?

Difficulty Level: Medium

31. Nonsexual multiple relationships between a clinical psychologist and a client are ______.

A. always unethical

B. never unethical if initiated by the client

C. unethical if they can be expected to impair the psychologist’s competence or risk exploiting the client

D. unethical only if the client actually experiences harm or exploitation (“no harm, no foul”)

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: What Makes Multiple Relationships Unethical?

Difficulty Level: Medium

32. The APA ethical principle of “beneficence and nonmaleficence” essentially requires the psychologist to ______.

A. do good and do no harm

B. avoid multiple relationships

C. obtain informed consent

D. none of these

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Aspirational and Enforceable

Difficulty Level: Easy

33. Cultural incompetence ______.

A. is not viewed as negatively by nonprofessionals as ethical violations such as multiple relationships

B. is permissible in research settings, but not in therapy settings

C. may lead to detrimental consequences for clients

D. is not addressed by the APA code of ethics

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Competence

Difficulty Level: Medium

34. Which of the following is not one of the APA’s ethical principles?

A. integrity

B. justice

C. community

D. Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Aspirational and Enforceable

Difficulty Level: Medium

35. The first step in Fisher’s (2017) model for ethical decision-making is to ______.

A. consult an attorney

B. generate and evaluate alternatives

C. make a commitment to do with is ethically appropriate

D. evaluate the effectiveness of courses of action

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Ethics in Clinical Research

Difficulty Level: Medium

36. Dr. Roland feels pressure to select a time-limited treatment to address Celia’s social anxiety disorder because Celia is using her Topcare Insurance benefits to pay for treatment. This scenario best illustrates which contemporary ethical issue for clinical psychologists?

A. technology and ethics

B. ethics in small communities

C. managed care and ethics

D. ethics and geographic location

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Managed Care and Ethics

Difficulty Level: Medium

Short Answer

1. Name the general principle that instructs psychologists to strive to benefit those with whom they work and to do no harm to those with whom they work.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: American Psychological Association Ethical Code

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. Name the general principle that includes establishing a relationship of trust and being aware of professional and scientific responsibilities to society and the specific communities in which a psychologist works.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: American Psychological Association Ethical Code

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. Which general principle encourages psychologists to promote accuracy, honesty, and truthfulness in the science, teaching, and practice of psychology?

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: American Psychological Association Ethical Code

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. Which general principle instructs psychologists to recognize that fairness and justice entitle all persons to access to and benefit from the contributions of psychology?

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: American Psychological Association Ethical Code

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. Which general principle states that psychologists should respect the dignity and worth of all people?

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: American Psychological Association Ethical Code

Difficulty Level: Easy

6. What is the name of the person whose murder resulted in the establishment of the duty to warn for psychologists?

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Confidentiality

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. The process of ______ includes informing patients as early as is feasible in the therapeutic relationship about the nature and anticipated course of therapy, fees, the involvement of third parties, and limits of confidentiality.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Informed Consent

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. If a clinical psychologist were to know someone professionally as a patient and in another way, such as hiring the individual to perform maintenance on the psychologist’s home, the psychologist would be engaging in a ______.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Boundaries and Multiple Relationships

Difficulty Level: Easy

9. In order to renew their licenses, many state licensing boards require clinical psychologists to participate in ______, which may include attending lectures, participating in workshops, and other activities to keep practitioners abreast of new advances in the field.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Competence

Difficulty Level: Medium

Essay

1. Briefly summarize the facts of the Tarasoff case and its primary implication for clinical psychologists.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Confidentiality

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Briefly describe the challenges related to confidentiality when the psychotherapy client is a child or adolescent, as well as suggestions for resolving these challenges.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Confidentiality

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Briefly explain how the informed consent process for psychotherapy differs from the informed consent processes for research or assessment.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Informed Consent

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Explain the major differences between the APA code of ethics’ general principles and ethical standards.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: American Psychological Association Ethical Code

Difficulty Level: Medium