Pennsylvania Code › Title 49 - PROFESSIONAL AND VOCATIONAL STANDARDS › Part I - DEPARTMENT OF STATE › Subpart A - PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 41 - STATE BOARD OF PSYCHOLOGY › CODE OF ETHICS › Section 41.61 - Code of Ethics

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
Whereas the Board is empowered by section
						3.2(2) of the
						Professional Psychologists Practice Act (63 P. S. §
												1203.2(2)), to promulgate
						rules and regulations, including, but not limited to, a code of ethics for
						psychologists in this Commonwealth and whereas the Board finds and determines
						that the following rules are necessary to establish and maintain the high
						standard of integrity and dignity in the profession of psychology and are
						necessary in the public interest to protect the public against unprofessional
						conduct on the part of a psychologist, in accordance with the act, the Board
						does hereby adopt this code of ethics for psychologists in this Commonwealth.
						Psychology students, interns, residents and trainees are put on notice that
						their violation of an ethical obligation imposed on psychologists by this
						section may be regarded by the Board as evidence of unacceptable moral
						character or of unacceptable supervised experience disqualifying them from
						licensure under section 6(a)(1) or (2) of the act (63 P. S. §
												1206(a)(1) and (2)).
						Licensed psychologists are put on notice that an ethical violation by an
						individual rendering or offering to render psychological services under their
						supervision, as provided by the act, may result in disciplinary proceedings
						against the supervisor under section 8(a) of the act (63 P. S. §
												1208(a)).
Preamble
Psychologists respect the dignity and worth of the
						individual and honor the preservation and protection of fundamental human
						rights. They are committed to increasing knowledge of human behavior and of
						people's understanding of themselves and others and to the utilization of that
						knowledge for the promotion of human welfare. While pursuing these endeavors,
						they make every effort to protect the welfare of those who seek their services
						or of a human being or animal that may be the object of study. They use their
						skills only for purposes consistent with these values and do not knowingly
						permit their misuse by others. While demanding for themselves freedom in
						inquiry and communication, psychologists accept the responsibility this freedom
						requires: competence, objectivity in the application of skills, and concern for
						the best interests of clients, colleagues and society in general.
Principle 1. Responsibility.
(a) In their commitment to the understanding
					 of human behavior, psychologists value objectivity and integrity, and in
					 providing services they maintain the highest standards of their profession.
					 They accept responsibility for the consequences of their work and make every
					 effort to insure that their services are used appropriately.
(b) As scientists, psychologists accept
					 responsibility for the selection of their research topics and the methods used
					 in investigation, analysis and reporting. They plan their research in ways to
					 minimize the possibility that their findings will be misleading. They provide
					 thorough discussion on the limitations of their data, especially when their
					 work touches on social policy or might be construed to the detriment of persons
					 in specific age, sex, ethnic, socioeconomic or other social groups. In
					 publishing reports of their work, they never suppress disconfirming data, and
					 they acknowledge the existence of alternative hypotheses and explanations of
					 their findings. Psychologists take credit only for work they have actually
					 done.
(c) Psychologists clarify in
					 advance with appropriate persons and agencies the expectations for sharing and
					 utilizing research data. They avoid relationships that may limit their
					 objectivity or create a conflict of interest. Interference with the milieu in
					 which data are collected is kept to a minimum.
(d) Psychologists have the responsibility to
					 attempt to prevent distortion, misuse or suppression of psychological findings
					 by the institution or agency of which they are employes.
(e) As members of governmental or other
					 organizational bodies, psychologists remain accountable as individuals to the
					 highest standards of their profession.
(f) As owners or participants in ownership of
					 a professional corporation, psychologists retain full professional liability to
					 persons who, in the course of a professional relationship, suffer personal
					 injury by reason of their actions or omissions.
(g) As teachers, psychologists recognize
					 their primary obligation to help others acquire knowledge and skill. They
					 maintain high standards of scholarship by presenting psychological information
					 objectively, fully and accurately.
(h) As practitioners, psychologists know that
					 they bear a heavy social responsibility because their recommendations and
					 professional actions may alter the lives of others. They are alert to personal,
					 social, organizational, financial or political situations and pressures that
					 might lead to misuse of their influence.
(i) As professionals utilizing computerized
					 assessments or computer-generated data, psychologists abide by the following
					 principles:
(1) The professional psychologist
					 is legally and ethically responsible for psychological assessment and the
					 generation and use of data as a service to the public.
(2) When the results of computerized testing
					 are provided to a psychologist, that psychologist becomes responsible for their
					 use.
(3) When the results of
					 computerized testing are provided to a nonpsychologist, the psychologist shall
					 provide to the nonpsychologist a psychological assessment and evaluation
					 according to current standards for noncomputerized psychological
					 assessments.