Role of Ethics-Nursing Paper Examples

 Ethical Implications or Ramifications (Role of Ethics)

Forensic psychologists are expected to uphold higher standards of ethics when conducting criminal investigations. While acting as an assistant psychologist in preparing a defense for Mr Davis, convicted of capital offenses, it would be crucial to maintain ethics in enhancing the credibility of the investigations. For instance, a psychologist must be objective to ensure that the process of investigations is not influenced by personal feelings (Hollin, 2019) (Role of Ethics).

Ideally, the standard on human relations prohibits psychologists from conducting investigations in which they have a conflict of interest, like financial or personal relationships with the defendant (Helfgott & Wallenborn, 2022). Besides, the psychologist should maintain professionalism based on fidelity and responsibility. The psychologist should conduct investigations as dictated by the code of conduct, manage conflicting interests, and refrain from exploiting the defendant (Role of Ethics).

Also, the psychologist should employ critical thinking skills based on the competence standard (Hollin, 2019). The code requires psychologists to gather information and make informed decisions based on extensive assessments, assumptions, and arguments. Additionally, Hollin (2019) explains that the psychologist should exhibit strong communication skills dictated by the competence standard. They should pay attention to detail, listen actively, and empathize with the client’s needs. Therefore, forensic psychologists should be objective, maintain professionalism, and employ critical thinking and strong communication skills during investigations (Role of Ethics).

Potential Risks

Forensic investigations of capital offense cases involving mentally ill people are associated with many risks, such as bias. Hollin (2019) observes that forensic psychologists may be biased during investigations by undermining decisions, judgments, and values. For example, the psychologist could subconsciously use information about the intent of the murder selectively, hindering the ability of the defense team to mount a strong defense (Role of Ethics).

Also, the psychologist may be affected by occupational stress due to heavy workload and limited duration for completion (Warr & Warr, 2020). The stress may force the psychologist to rush investigations, leaving crucial information that could free Mr Davis. Moreover, forensic psychologists may be affected by investigative strategy conflicts, leading to bias and incomplete investigations.

The psychologist may disagree with the supervisor or assistants on the most suitable approach to sourcing evidence to exonerate the defendant. Tilabovna (2021) believes that such disagreement may lead to harmful misperceptions and fear of being fear of blamed if the investigation outcomes are inconclusive (Role of Ethics).

Additionally, the psychologist may employ unethical procedures to achieve a desired outcome, setting the defendant free (Hollin, 2019). They may illegally solicit witness statements and even bribe the mental examiner to make false conclusions regarding the mental health of Mr Davis at the time of the murder. Reports obtained by such investigations could undermine the process of justice (Role of Ethics).

Finally, the psychologist may release confidential investigation information without the defendant’s consent (Matz et al., 2020). Disclosure of such information may force the defendant to lose confidence in the investigations. Therefore, the psychologist must be aware of these risks like bias, occupational stress, strategy conflicts, desired outcomes, and release of private information without consent by taking precautionary measures to enhance the credibility of the investigation reports.

Recommended Course of Action

The psychologist can avoid bias by creating a detailed investigation plan, sharing analytical duties with the team, and summarizing the findings using original information. Besides, they can eliminate occupational stress by avoiding distractions, adopting teamwork, and prioritizing and planning components of the investigation to reduce redundancies and workload (Warr & Warr, 2020 (Role of Ethics)).

Also, psychologists can avoid unethical practices to satisfy a desired outcome by maintaining consistency with the law and employing professionalism in handling personal data (Neal et al., 2022). They should also frankly discuss conflicting interests and concerns to help obtain amicable solutions. Finally, the psychologist should seek informed consent before disclosing confidential information (Matz et al., 2020).

They can do this by explaining to Mr Davis the need to release the information, after which the defendant can consent in writing. Thus, considering these recommendations during the investigation is crucial in maintaining the credibility and accuracy of the investigations (Role of Ethics).

Implications of Diversity

Delivery of Forensic Related Services

Diversity, like race and gender, affects forensic investigations by clouding the judgments of forensic psychologists. According to Day et al. (2022), cultural diversity is associated with increased reliance on stereotypes which can affect the forensic investigator’s decisions and perceptions. For instance, racial stereotypes influence moral judgments by encouraging biased perceptions about an individual, such as believing in the likelihood that Mr. Davis’s mental status and Islamic origin influenced the commitment to a capital crime (Role of Ethics).

Moreover, cultural diversity may encourage the development of assumptions, such as the need to apply similar judgments to offenders sharing cultural backgrounds. Clauss-Ehlers et al. (2019) illustrate that such assumptions encourage the selective application of the law, undermining forensic investigations. Additionally, racial discrepancies may lead to incorrect interpretations of the defendant’s testimonies, leading to inaccurate conclusions in the investigation (Day et al., 2022). These drawbacks in the investigations could result in a weak defense and deny the defendant justice (Role of Ethics).

Notably, a lack of cultural awareness is associated with biased judgments (Day et al., 2022). The psychologist may misjudge the defendant, especially when they do not share the same Islamic faith as the defendant. Cultural unawareness may also encourage ineffective communication between the investigator and the client. Ineffective communication causes innumerable problems in evaluating and assessing the defendants’ testimony, which could lead to inconclusive investigations and conclusions. Therefore, cultural incompetence is a significant problem that should be addressed amicably during investigations (Role of Ethics).

Scenario

The psychologist can avoid overreliance on cultural assumptions by coordinating with expert witnesses to establish how culture is incorporated into the defendant’s life and actions (Day et al.,2022). The expert witnesses will explain to the court how the defendants’ mental problem is connected to the culture. Expert witnesses are also crucial in eliminating racial discrepancies associated with incorrect interpretations (Role of Ethics).

The psychologist should involve expert interpretations of every testimony provided by the defendant. Consequently, psychologists should maintain objectivity and professionalism to eliminate the influence of cultural stereotypes on forensic investigations (Day et al., 2022). The psychologist’s actions should be guided by fidelity and responsibility, whereby every interview or investigation of the defendant is not aimed at harming or discrediting Mr Davis.

Furthermore, the problem of cultural unawareness can be resolved by involving the services of an expert in the defendant’s cultural background (Earwaker et al., 2020). Psychologists should also employ cultural competency ethics by understanding personal biases and awareness. Personal awareness encourages appreciation of other cultures and eliminates misjudgment. Therefore, forensic psychologists should adopt the recommended cultural diversity measures to maintain the integrity and professionalism of the process of investigations (Role of Ethics).

Cultural Competency

A forensic psychologist can employ best practices during investigations in diverse cultures by observing the following steps. First, Day et al. (2022) explain that psychologists should value diversity by respecting other cultures. Tolerating the views and considering the strengths and weaknesses of such opinions is critical to achieving cultural competency. Second, they should understand the dynamic differences between diverse cultures (Role of Ethics).

Earwaker et al. (2020) argue that investigators may employ varying problem-solving techniques and communication patterns, leading to increased misjudgments and misinterpretations during the investigation. Third, the psychologist should be adaptive and flexible when working with diverse cultures (Day et al., 2022).

They should incorporate cultural specialists’ services to help adapt to the traditions of diverse cultures. Finally, they should readily accept responsibility for actions caused by cultural misunderstandings. Recognizing responsibility is necessary for combating racial stereotypes and biases in criminal investigations (Role of Ethics)

References

Clauss-Ehlers, C. S., Chiriboga, D. A., Hunter, S. J., Roysircar, G., & Tummala-Narra, P. (2019). APA Multicultural Guidelines executive summary: Ecological approach to context, identity, and intersectionality. American Psychologist, 74(2), 232.https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/amp0000382

Day, A., Woldgabreal, Y., & Butcher, L. (2022). Cultural Bias in Forensic Assessment: Considerations and Suggestions. In Challenging Bias in Forensic Psychological Assessment and Testing (pp. 245-258). Routledge. ISBN: 9781003230977

Earwaker, H., Nakhaeizadeh, S., Smit, N. M., & Morgan, R. M. (2020). A cultural change to enable improved decision-making in forensic science: a six phased approach. Science & Justice, 60(1), 9-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scijus.2019.08.006

Helfgott, J. B., & Wallenborn, J. K. (2022). History of forensic psychology. Clinical forensic psychology: Introductory perspectives on offending, 1-26. 10.1007/978-3-030-80882-2_1

Hollin, C. R. (2019). Forensic (criminological) psychology. In Companion encyclopedia of psychology (pp. 1231–1253). Routledge. ISBN: 9781315542072

Matz, S. C., Appel, R. E., & Kosinski, M. (2020). Privacy in the age of psychological targeting. Current opinion in psychology, 31, 116-121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.08.010

Neal, T. M., Martire, K. A., Johan, J. L., Mathers, E. M., & Otto, R. K. (2022). The law meets psychological expertise: Eight best practices to improve forensic psychological assessment. Annual Review of Law and Social Science, pp. 18, 169–192. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-050420-010148

Tilabovna, M. K. (2021). Actual problems in the expert competence of a psychologist in civil proceedings of the Republic of Uzbekistan (on the example of psychological and psychiatric examinations). ACADEMICIA: An International Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 11(3), 1379-1384. http://dx.doi.org/10.5958/2249-7137.2021.00944.7

Warr, J., & Warr, J. (2020). Occupational Experiences of Forensic Psychologists. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83909-960-120200006