15 Jan At the end of each course

MPS622 Professional Ethics

Module 1 Discussion

DQ1 Introduction

Introduce yourself to the class. Share what you would like your classmates to know about you such as your academic and career goals, family, interests, etc.

DQ2 Invisible Psychologists and Ethics

Read the Barnett and Kolmes (2016) article (see Module 1 ‘Reading’ tab).

2a. After reading the article, share with us what you believe to be the main ethical issues for tele-mental health

2b. Do the current APA Codes of Ethics Standards (see link in Readings) apply to psychologists doing tele-mental health? Why or why not?

MPS622 Professional Ethics

Module 2 Discussion

DQ1 Unethical use of the Internet: Cyber-Defamation

Based on the background materials, explore and discuss the ethical issues associated with the use of the internet to defame others. Where possible, try to cite examples of unethical online behaviors and possible remedies that do not infringe upon free speech.

DQ2 Regulating free speech on the Internet: Trading liberties for civility?

Based on the background materials, explore the ethics of self disclosure and free speech in order to assure civility among internet users.

MPS622 Professional Ethics

Module 3 Discussion

DQ1 Unethical Media: A Failure to Disclose

Based on the background materials, explore the ethical issues associated with a failure to disclose pertinent information when producing media for public viewing. Where possible, try to cite additional examples of these types of circumstances from recent news reports.

DQ2 Media Persuasion

2a. Based on a review of the materials and your own opinion, how and how much do you think the media, including the Internet influences public opinion?

2b. Describe and explain some key strategies and methods to overcome media persuasion.

MPS622 Professional Ethics

Module 4 Discussion

DQ1 Therapists and their clients

Based on the background materials, discuss the intersection between ethical issues in therapy and legal issues.

DQ2 Personal relationships

Imagine you are a therapist and a former client trying to reach out to you about forming a friendship after 6 months since you last saw them for therapy. Based on the background materials, explore the ethical issues around this situation and how will you approach a client about this request.

MPS622 Professional Ethics

Module 5 Discussion

DQ1 Psychology and Legal Ethics

1a. Based on the background materials, explore the ethical and moral situations faced by criminal justice professionals involved in the legal system, including psychologists.

1b. What standards need to be established by both judges and lawyers in order to have fair and balanced judgment in a trial?

DQ2 Ripped from the headlines

Select what you consider a recent or current “high profile” trial. Explore whether there has unethical biases by the police, the lawyers, the judge or even the media coverage in this high profile trial. Cite examples and justify your position.

MPS622 Professional Ethics

Module 6 Discussion

DQ1 Reasons for Biased Research Results

Based on the background materials, explore the ethical and moral situations related to reporting research results. Explain 3 key suggestions to allow transparency in reporting research results.

DQ2 Real World Bias in Reporting Research

Select what you consider a recent or current controversy of falsifying or hiding psychological or medical research results from the general public in the past 6 months. This excludes the research cited by Dr. Oz or the controversy regarding Andrew Wakefield regarding Autism and Vaccines.

Do you think there should be any legal consequences for these actions? Why or why not?

What penalties would you suggest? Please cite your examples.

MPS622 Professional Ethics

Module 7 Discussion

DQ1 Establishing Ethical Standards

Based on background materials, explore the ethical arguments regarding the practicality and usefulness of establishing standards among psychologists.

Do you think ethics standards and policies involve a “one size fits all” approach, e.g., psychology, journalism, business, the media, legal system, etc.? Explain your response supported with evidence from background material and other external sources (as applicable).

DQ2 Developing an Ethical Standards Panel

Assume you are designated to select a 5 – 6 member panel tasked with establishing ethical standards for your organization. For this thread, focus on at least 5 areas you want to address in your developed standards. Use the background materials and other external sources to explain the criteria you would use to select your 5 – 6 member panel based upon the 5 areas that will be in your standards.

MPS622 Professional Ethics

Module 8 Discussion

DQ1 Current Trends and Global Influence

Based on the background materials and external research, briefly discuss what you believe the role of the psychologists will be regarding ethics from a global perspective.

DQ2 Challenges for Psychologists Regarding Ethics

After learning from all the modules in this course, which ethical issue do you believe will be most challenging for psychologists in the next 10 years? Please explain your response.

MPS622 Professional Ethics

Module 4 Assignment

Case Assignment

The Case Assignment will be a 5-8 page (excluding cover page and references) research essay building upon Modules 1-4 from this course. In particular, the case assignment will explore some key ethical issues related to online psychotherapy. Please watch the videos below if you have not done so already:

Online Therapy & New York Times “When Your Therapist is Only a Click Away” [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tFoziLNdwo (10:48) The Pros and Cons of Online Therapy and Online Counseling [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFyjldCthZ8 (8:32)

Please address the following in your case assignment:

Statistics on the usage of online psychotherapy

Ethical guidelines and of conducting psychotherapy online

Advertising of Online distance psychotherapy to the general public

The internet privacy and self-disclosure during the online psychotherapy session

You should use a minimum of 4-5 academic sources (such as from Touro library) in support of your Case Assignment.

MPS622 Professional Ethics

Module 8 Assignment

Signature Assignment

In particular, the signature assignment will explore key ethical issues related to the topic of Moral Reasoning. To start thinking about the topic, please watch the video below.

The Signature Assignment will be an 8-10 page (excluding title page and references page) research essay building upon lessons from this course and the topic from the case assignment. In particular, you discussed key ethical issues related to online psychotherapy. Below are the videos you viewed in module 4 regarding online therapy:

Online Therapy & New York Times “When Your Therapist is Only a Click Away” [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tFoziLNdwo (10:48) The Pros and Cons of Online Therapy and Online Counseling [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFyjldCthZ8 (8:32)

For this assignment, review the videos and other external sources and address the following in your paper: The Signature Assignment would include the following topics related to online psychotherapy:

Provide an introduction discussing that provides a thesis statement Write 2 – 3 paragraphs that address the background of what you discovered in the case assignment, e.g., guidelines for online psychotherapy, privacy and self-disclosure.

Please DO NOT just copy and paste what you wrote in the case assignment but summarize. It may be a good idea to create a heading titled “Background.” Legal and Cultural Implications of online psychotherapy Propose Ethical Standards that can be used for online psychotherapy If you standards already exist make sure you cite them properly

Discuss other standards you would include and/ remove Who would be the key players to recruit to involve in the Standards How would you get the standards implemented locally and globally Potential Researcher bias in the study associated with addressing the topic of online psychotherapy In your conclusion, add 2 – 3 sentences of what you learned about the topic and future trends locally and globally. You should use a minimum of 6-7 academic sources (such as from Touro library) in support of your Signature Assignment.

MPS622 Professional Ethics

Module 8 Assignment

Self-Reflective Essay

The purpose of the Student Self-Reflective Essay is to reflect upon what one has learned or how one has performed as compared with one’s expectations or goals.

At the end of each course, we ask students to respond to five (5) statements. In your essay please respond in sequential order to the five (5) statements below. There is no requirement for length when responding to each statement.

1. Descriptions of how you feel you improved your knowledge, skills, abilities, and yourself in this session through this course.

2. Evaluation of the work you did during the session for the class and explanations of ways you could have performed better.

3. Topics you have identified that you did not understand or were not successful in trying to implement and suggestions you may have about how to improve the course material on those topics.

4. Ways you might measure the future effects of what you have learned in this course or your future progress/improvement.

5. State whether you achieved the course outcomes (Student Learning Outcomes).