MLO 5

MLO 5 (Values in Psychology)

This outcome demonstrates the interdisciplinary of the major, especially through its emphasis on ethics and respect for science. Students weigh evidence, tolerate ambiguity, act ethically and reflect other values underpinning psychology. Outcomes include understanding the need for ethical behavior, tolerance of ambiguity, demonstration of skepticism and intellectual curiosity, attunement to scientific evidence, civic responsibility and respect for human diversity.

Values in psychology is probably, in my opinion, the most important MLO. Cohen and Swerdlik (2009) state that values are ideals believed in by individuals and ethics are the principles of right, proper, and good conduct. Nothing should be done, experiment wise, if those being studied (people or animals) aren’t being respected and or aren’t aware of what is being done to them in the first place.

I believe that the use human participants and animals are crucial in the study of psychology, and any other field, but it must be done with respect to the latter. Nothing can replicate human/animal participation simply because researchers get to see and fully capture, in a first-hand basis, how they are affected by the experiment/study. If researchers are to come up with laws that govern our understanding of human/animal behavior it is important that live participants be studied. What or who else can psychology researchers study, concerning behavior, if not actual live participants? I don’t think that human computer simulations or artificial intelligence (if it actually exists) can fully respond the way a person or animal can when an experiment/study is being conducted on them. This is why there must be a code of values/ethics that governs how participants are treated when being studied. When such code is followed then it implies that participants are being treated with respect and are aware of what is going on at all times.

This MLO was one that captured my attention as soon as I began to read it because if I want to be a family/marriage counselor I must abide by a code of values/ethics that in turn will allow me to do my job to the best of my ability. For instance, I currently work at Pajaro Valley High School in the Emotionally Disturbed (ED) program where we work with students who have personal counselors. In talking to these program counselors they always stress the importance of respecting their clients (students) in every way possible. This may include: not disclosing information to teachers/staff that they don’t want disclosed, respecting their ability or inability to function in society, and simply being aware that they are individuals just like everyone else even if they have a mental disorder (which most of the students in our program do). I also put myself in a client’s shoes, for instance, if I ever need to go to a counselor, for whatever reason, I would most definitely want my counselor to respect what I disclose to him/her and to treat me with respect. It’s a simple matter of professionalism and respect for the client. Francis and Dugger (2014) explain that the establishment of a code of ethics, that stresses a normal orientation to the service of others and commitment to protect the welfare of clients, is the symbol of professionalism (Francis et al., 2014). On a more personal note, I’ve had several family members attend counseling sessions and they, of course, disclosed very personal information to their respective counselor(s). For the most part they feel as though they trust their counselor(s) due to the respect they have for each other (patient/counselor relationship) and the willingness of the counselor to listen to their issues while not passing judgment. I assume that it’s not easy for anyone to go to a person (counselor) who they’ve never met before and simply begin to disclose personal information that has affected them in their life, respect and trust must be shared between client(s) and counselor(s) so that counseling sessions support the client not harm them.

One of several classes that I partook in at CSUMB that focused quite a bit on ethics and values was my Experimental Psychology & Human Assessment class. As the name states, the class focused on experimental psychology and how to assess humans, while also discussing how to be ethical and uphold values during such practices. I remember that, as a class, we took the time to study several concepts about ethics such as client confidentiality, counselor bias, and personal values just to name a few. I personally used flash cards with the name of a term/concept on one side and the definition or statement on the other side; other classmates chose to list the terms/concepts on a piece of paper and simply go over them several times to remember them. We studied these concepts for about two weeks and then we took a quiz to see if we understood the ethics behind experimental psychology and humane treatment of clients or experiment participants. Those terms/concepts that we missed on the quiz were taught to us once again until we understood them correctly; I think this was a good idea on part of the instructor because it’s important that we learn such terms/concepts as we progress in our schooling. Francis (et al., 2014) illustrate the importance of respecting the cultural diversity of clients by stating that professional counselors must be aware of their own values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors so that they are not imposed on the client(s) (Francis et al., 2014). As I stated earlier, because I want to go into the field of family/marriage counseling I must respect the values and ethics among varying cultures as to avoid imposing my own beliefs while respecting a client’s point of view and cultural background. I’m quite certain that once I enter graduate school I will be involved in more values/ethics classes that will continue to exemplify the significance of the latter. I want to enter graduate school with a positive attitude and state of mind so that I can learn the most that I can in respect to values and ethics, it will only benefit me in the long run as I achieve my goal of one day becoming a family/marriage counselor.