Professional Psychology Ethics and Standards
What the ethics section tests
Ethics items test whether you can apply the APA Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct to concrete facts. Know the five General Principles (Beneficence and Nonmaleficence, Fidelity and Responsibility, Integrity, Justice, Respect for People's Rights and Dignity) as aspirational guides, and the enforceable Standards as the operative rules. The most frequently tested standards concern informed consent, competence, multiple relationships, confidentiality and its limits, boundaries of competence, record keeping, fees, and research/teaching conduct.
Core concepts to hold firmly
Informed consent requires capacity, disclosure of risks and alternatives, voluntariness, and documentation; it is ongoing, not a single signature. Confidentiality is limited by danger to self or others, abuse reporting, court orders, and the client's own authorization; know that the duty to protect is jurisdictional and consult/refer rather than improvise. Multiple relationships are not automatically unethical-the test is whether the relationship could impair objectivity, exploit, or harm. Competence includes acquiring new skills through training and supervision before practicing, not learning on an unsupervised client. Ethical decision-making models share steps: identify the dilemma, consult the Code and law, consult colleagues, weigh principles, act, document, and review.
Traps
Stems often present a legal requirement that conflicts with an ethical obligation, or a client request that seems reasonable but exceeds the psychologist's competence. Beware answers that are absolutist ("never") or that prioritize the psychologist's comfort over client welfare. Another trap: confusing a subpoena with a court order, or assuming a signed release authorizes disclosure of everything. When a stem describes an emergency, the answer usually favors protecting life and documenting, with follow-up consultation.
Rule of thumb
When two answers both seem ethical, choose the one that protects client welfare and autonomy while preserving the psychologist's objectivity and role clarity, and that includes consultation and documentation. If the stem involves risk, act first, then consult and document.
Worked example
A long-term client asks the psychologist to co-sign a business loan. The ethical answer is to decline and address the meaning of the request clinically, because entering a financial relationship creates a multiple relationship that risks exploitation and impaired objectivity-regardless of the client's stated comfort.