Ethical Issues: Psychology in Practice

1. Military Psychology

To ensure the security of a nation and its border, military forces have designed and also evolved over the period of time. The purpose has shifted from national security to global terror. The involvement of psychology in the military has helped in the development of the military system in selection, training and welfare but with time, psychology is focusing on paramilitary systems to make it proactive. Also some inhumane and highly unethical studies were conducted so that the troops can be made resilient, physically and psychologically tolerant enough to withstand the rigorous experience of captivity and interrogation.

a. Sensory deprivation. The purpose of this paid study was to investigate the type of response in volunteer students when they were deprived from everyday sensations e.g. light, sound etc. The results of this study were physically and psychologically extremely harmful to quote. For example, Loss of sensation, perception, sleep and orientation along with the experience of hallucinations, and a threat to their confidentiality are the key ethical issues in this study.
b. Interrogation techniques. In this study, internees were given brutal experience of interrogation technique. The study involved strikingly inhuman physical and psychological experience. They were physically beaten and psychologically harmed which produced severe physical, emotional and cognitive responses which is against the ethical code of conduct.
c. Animals of war. Use of animals in warfare as agents by using “behavior modification technique” of psychology is unethical, considering the ethical issues of animals. It is unethical to harm an animal, altering their behaviors and not providing enough care. Some studies claim that the consequences of using animals as agents in war are somewhat less loss to human life makes it ethical to use.
d. Psychological operations. The use of psychology in propaganda against a nation to demoralize or politically demolish a nation. It acts like a preface for major mass destruction and mass murder e.g. Vietnamese War against Americans started through misleading information.
e. Cultural sensitivity. The information about different cultures and related human behaviors is used with the help of psychology and anthropology. But the ethical issue is the misuse of this information in promoting terrorism.

2. Psychologist and Media

Wherever there are humans, behaviors and events, psychology acts as an intrinsic knowledge to be put light on. Initially, APA allowed psychologists to give “personal advice” rather than “therapy”, but the ethical issue came out as the information presented on Media can be misleading, incomplete, superficial or mere a rumor because of restricted time and space.
a. TV show- Inside the mind of Paul Gascoigne. The show was on the mental health of a famous footballer, Paul Gascoigne, accompanied by a psychologist. There were different mental disorders which were used to describe the mental health of the footballer in that short period of time. The diagnosis was made on the behaviors and patterns to explain his distress. Inappropriate psychiatric labels were used. Later, the footballer tried to explain his behaviors as coping tools to overcome distress through newspapers. All of this is actually a big threat to his psychological, emotional and social well-being, confidentiality, privacy and also incomplete diagnosis were made just for the public rating.
b. The Big Brother programs. The biggest ethical issue in this program is that psychologists cannot give any study based on mere observation body language. Also, there is a proper training of reinforcing negative behaviors for months which will last a certain time even after the show. Also, people get false information about the subject of psychology since it has nothing to do with reading human minds and intentions. Moreover, psychology is also being used for deceptive purposes in Media due to its sensitive and keen approach towards human behaviors.

3. Relationship with Client

It is one of the most important, sensitive and debated areas of psychology. The relationship with the client needs to be very professional, reciprocal and ethical.
a. Close relatives. The biggest issue it brings is that the therapy or treatment of the close relatives is not ethical due to biases and ineffective treatment.
b. Sexual closeness. A psychologist cannot be romantically or sexually involved with the client since it may result in personal biases and false treatment. A big statistic is present about the physical, psychological and sexual harm to the patients by the therapist prior to or post to therapy sessions. The ethical issues with these kinds of professional relationships is because of the conflicting personal as well as professional interests of the two. Also psychologists can use their knowledge and techniques to victimize patients for their sexual needs and can damage their identity, make harm to their confidentiality as well.

4. Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder

DSM is considered as the most powerful and appropriate tool to make diagnosis by the diagnostic criteria issued by this manual. Also there are some ethical issues in DSM diagnostic criteria as per following critics.
a. Behaviors as disorders. The main ethical issue with this manual is that it has the tendency to make everyday normal behaviors to be pathological and in result falsely labelled by either psychological or non-psychological professionals. The behaviors are diagnosed merely on a pathological basis. The holistic concept of well-being is not addressed.
b. Socio-economic background. No information about the socio-cultural and economic backgrounds of the individuals are kept in consideration to avoid overgeneralization and wrong diagnosis and prognosis of the individual. Also, social and gender roles of the individuals in a culture are not taken into consideration. Also there are culturally promoted behaviors in men and women that have nothing to do with mental disorders. E.g. anxiety in women etc.
c. Gender Bias. In DSM, mostly, women are subjected to be on top of the pervasive diagnosis of a mental illness. The factors behind the certain behaviors other than pathology are wisely ignored in DSM. Also, man is set as a standard in personality, psychological and behavioral patterns , due to which women fail to meet the criterion of good mental health and ultimately labelled as ill.

5. Psychologist and Therapy
Since its origin, psychology is primarily known for treating behavior or psychological issues of humans through talking therapy and other techniques. But a number of critics are being in the frontline because of the quackery in therapeutic psychology by therapists.
a. Recovered memory therapy. The ethical issues comes up with the recovery of toxic and painful memories through this technique which an individual might had struggled hard to forget e.g. The application of this therapy on a rape victim to recall the criminal, might bring a painful recall to all what happened.
b. Inexperience of the therapist. The inexperience of therapists can also be very much devastative in part of the client. E.g. Hypnosis requires skillful and complete understanding of the technique otherwise it could be difficult to undo the hypnotic state of the individual.

Book Reference

Banyard, C, Flangan, P. (2006). Ethical issues and guidelines
in psychology. London: Routledge