1. Forensic Psychologists, like other types of psychologists, may come across et
ID: 3461935 • Letter: 1
Question
1. Forensic Psychologists, like other types of psychologists, may come across ethical dilemmas in their professional jobs. An ethical dilemma is the result of a situation requiring a choice between undesirable alternatives, often times when two ethical principles are in conflict. Briefly describe (in 3-10 sentences) a hypothetical ethical dilemma and clearly identify the opposing ethical principles.
2. Using the ethical dilemma described in the first question, describe how your personal values lead you place more importance on certain ethical principles over others. For example, in deciding to break confidentiality, you may strongly value safety over confidentiality, leading you to prioritize Nonmaleficience over Respect for People's Rights and Dignity.
Explanation / Answer
1. A hypothetical ethical dilemma that a psychologist may face is finding out that her colleague has faked her degree and certification by checking the colleague’s past records. Since these records are confidential, the psychologist has violated her colleague’s right to privacy. At the same time, she recognises that the colleague’s competency in the field is now highly questionable which can possibly harm others in the future.
2. In this situation, I would definitely prioritise nonmaleficience over respect for people’s rights and dignity. This is because the former would lead to an outcome wherein scores of individuals maybe prevented from harm rather than justifying the wrongdoing of one person.
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