Psychological Factors Affecting Auditor Independence

Auditors have long acknowledged an important aspect of independence: independence "in fact." The 2nd general standard of generally accepted auditing standards refers to a mental attitude of independence. Since mental attitude is the heart of independence in fact, consideration of psycholog...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Ohio CPA journal 1990-04, Vol.49 (1), p.5
Main Authors: Corless, John C, Bartlett, Roger W, Seglund, Ragnor J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Auditing profession
Auditing standards
Auditors
Behavior
Clients
Psychological aspects
Values
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Auditors have long acknowledged an important aspect of independence: independence "in fact." The 2nd general standard of generally accepted auditing standards refers to a mental attitude of independence. Since mental attitude is the heart of independence in fact, consideration of psychological influences that may be acting on the auditor's state of mind is appropriate. The potential influences on the independence in fact of an individual auditor include: 1. the fact that the client pays the audit fee, 2. the pressures of an "up or out" environment, 3. psychological attachments with client personnel, 4. the firm's philosophy of meeting client service demands, and 5. the fact that auditors and clients often share personal values. To remain independent requires a constant effort by everyone involved to be aware of the elements that can adversely affect the mental attitude of auditors and to take steps to counter these factors and to improve the atmosphere of independence.
ISSN:0749-8284