PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND NATIONAL SECURITY: SOME CURRENT ISSUES

For nearly a century, psychologists have increasingly contributed a variety of services to the public safety and national security of the U.S. government and its people. Recently, some have alleged that psychologists working in national security operations have engaged in unethical conduct by interr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Consulting psychology journal 2009-03, Vol.61 (1), p.33-42
Main Author: Gravitz, Melvin A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Human
Incarcerated
Interrogation
National Security
Professional Ethics
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Summary:For nearly a century, psychologists have increasingly contributed a variety of services to the public safety and national security of the U.S. government and its people. Recently, some have alleged that psychologists working in national security operations have engaged in unethical conduct by interrogating and otherwise using "torture" against persons who have been detained as a result of terroristic activities against American personnel and other targets. It is noted that the American Psychological Association (APA) ruled many years ago that torture was unethical. This article considers such allegations within the context of relevant principles and standards of the APA Ethics Code. Ethical conduct is ultimately the responsibility of the individual psychologist who must be flexibly guided by the aspirations and guidelines of the APA Ethics Code. Furthermore, current events require that APA consider the circumstances within which certain psychologists operate and accordingly revisit the existing ethical standards.
ISSN:1065-9293
1939-0149
DOI:10.1037/a0015281