Enabling torture: APA, clinical psychology training and the failure to disobey.

Alice LoCicero, Robert P. Marlin, David Jull-Patterson, Nancy M. Sweeney, Brandon Lee Gray, & J. Wesley Boyd
Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, Vol 22(4), Nov 2016, 345-355.

Abstract

The American Psychological Association (APA) has historically had close ties with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). Recent revelations describe problematic outcomes of those ties, as some in the APA colluded with the DOD to allow psychologists to participate, with expectation of impunity, in harsh interrogations that amounted to torture of Guantanamo detainees, during the Bush era. We now know that leaders in the APA purposely misled psychologists about the establishment of policies on psychologists’ roles in interrogations. Still, the authors wondered why, when the resulting policies reflected a clear contradiction of the fundamental duty to do no harm, few psychologists, in or out of the military, protested the policies articulated in 2005 by the committee on Psychological Ethics and National Security (PENS). Previous research suggested that U.S. graduate students in clinical psychology receive little or no training in the duties of psychologists in military settings or in the ethical guidance offered by international treaties. Thus psychologists might not have been well prepared to critique the PENS policies or to refuse to participate in interrogations. To further explore this issue, the authors surveyed Directors of Clinical Training of doctoral programs in clinical psychology, asking how extensively their programs address dilemmas psychologists may face in military settings. The results indicate that most graduate programs offer little attention to dilemmas of unethical orders, violations of international conventions, or excessively harsh interrogations. These findings, combined with earlier studies, suggest that military psychologists may have been unprepared to address ethical dilemmas, whereas psychologists outside the military may have been unprepared to critique the APA’s collusion with the DOD. The authors suggest ways to address this apparent gap in ethics education for psychology graduate students, interns, and fellows.

The article is here.

A Teachable Ethics Scandal

Mitchell Handelsman
Teaching of Psychology

Abstract

In this article, I describe a recent scandal involving collusion between officials at the American Psychological Association (APA) and the U.S. Department of Defense, which appears to have enabled the torture of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The scandal is a relevant, complex, and engaging case that teachers can use in a variety of courses. Details of the scandal exemplify a number of psychological concepts, including obedience, groupthink, terror management theory, group influence, and motivation. The scandal can help students understand several factors that make ethical decision-making difficult, including stress, emotions, and cognitive factors such as loss aversion, anchoring, framing, and ethical fading. I conclude by exploring some parallels between the current torture scandal and the development of APA’s ethics guidelines regarding the use of deception in research.

The article is here.

Guidelines for the Practice of Telepsychology

GUIDELINES FOR THE PRACTICE OF TELEPSYCHOLOGY

(Draft – Released for public comment on July 27, 2012)

Introduction

Definition of Telepsychology

Operational Definitions

Need for the Guidelines

Development of the Guidelines

Guideline 1: Competence of the Psychologist

Guideline 2: Standards of Care in the Delivery of Telepsychology Services

Guideline 3: Informed Consent

Guideline 4: Confidentiality of Data and Information

Guideline 5: Security and Transmission of Data and Information

Guideline 6: Disposal of Data and Information and Technologies

Guideline 7: Testing and Assessment

Guideline 8: Interjurisdictional Practice

Conclusion

References

These guidelines are designed to address the developing area of psychological service provision

commonly known as telepsychology. Telepsychology is defined, for the purpose of these

guidelines, as the provision of psychological services using telecommunication technologies as

expounded in the “Definition of Telepsychology.” The expanding role of technology in the

provision of psychological services and the continuous development of new technologies that

may be useful in the practice of psychology present unique opportunities, considerations and

challenges to practice. With the advancement of technology and the increased number of

psychologists using technology in their practices, these guidelines have been prepared to educate

and guide those who engage in the practice of telepsychology.

The proposed Guidelines are here.

In order to comment on these proposed guidelines, click here.

Practice Guidelines Regarding Psychologists' Involvement in Pharmacological Issues

A psychologist can download this document for future reference.

There is a link to this document under "Relevant Links".

APA Pharmacological