Handbook on the State of the Art in Applied Psychology

CHAPTER 20Psychological Ethics in a Changing World: How Ethics Documents in Psychology: Have Evolved to Meet the Issues and Concerns of the Day

Janel Gauthier

School of Psychology, Laval University, Québec City, Québec, Canada

Abstract

Psychological ethics has come a long way since the publication of the very first code of ethics for psychologists by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1953. The purpose of this book chapter is to reflect on the development of ethics documents in psychology and consider the relevance and meaning of the Universal Declaration of Ethical Principles for Psychologists in addressing the global and local ethical challenges facing psychologists in today’s world. Following a few definitions to guide our journey, I provide an overview of the development of ethics documents in psychology and show how politics, economics, social needs, and a myriad of other factors influence the creation of ethics documents and the thinking about what is virtuous, what is ethical, and even what are considered to be the rights of being human. Then follows a presentation of the Universal Declaration of Ethical Principles for Psychologists in which I highlight the main contributions of the document to the global and local ethical discourse. Next, I consider the relevance of the Universal Declaration and its moral framework in today’s increasingly globalized world. In closing, I call for a renewed emphasis on ethical principles and a focus on shared human values ...