EPPP Ethics Questions and Answers
The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) is best described as:
A
a measure of basic knowledge of psychology.
B
a predictor of job proficiency.
C
an aptitude test.
D
a way to protect the public from incompetent psychologists. ANSWERS A
a measure of basic knowledge of psychology.
A woman calls you asking for information about her son who is a current client of yours.
You have been seeing the son in individual therapy since he was 17. He is now 18-1/2
and has just started college. This mother is paying for her son's therapy. You should:
A
provide the woman with the information she has requested about her son.
B
provide the woman only with information that is relevant to the purpose of her request.
C
provide the woman only with that part of the record that pertains to her son before he
turned 18.
D
provide the woman with information only with the permission of her son. ANSWERS
D
provide the woman with information only with the permission of her son.
d. CORRECT Since the son has reached the age of majority, his mother's right to
access to his records has ceased, and his permission is required to provide her with any
information from his records.
Dr. Blue, a psychologist, is hired by a company to administer tests for the purpose of
evaluating current employees to determine if they should be considered for promotion.
In this situation:
A
an informed consent from examinees should be obtained.
B
an informed consent is not required since the employer is Dr. Blue's "client."
,C
an informed consent from examinees is not required, although they should be reminded
about the limits of confidentiality.
D
it is up to Dr. Blue to decide whether any information about the test should be given to
examinees. ANSWERS a. CORRECT In most situations, psychologists obtain
informed consents prior to testing from the person being evaluated or his/her legal
guardian. Although there are exceptions in certain employment situations, this response
is the best of those given.
Dr. Fran Flummox is asked by the plaintiff's attorney to serve as an expert witness on
behalf of the plaintiff in a malpractice suit. The attorney asks Dr. Flummox if she would
be willing to waive her usual fee and accept a proportion of the anticipated settlement
instead. As an ethical psychologist, Dr. Flummox:
A
may agree to do so because accepting a contingent fee is acceptable in this situation.
B
should agree to do so only if the contingent fee will represent the "fair market value" of
her services.
C
should agree to do so only if she determines that accepting the contingent fee is in the
best interests of the plaintiff.
D
should refuse to do so because psychologists should avoid accepting contingent fees in
this situation. ANSWERS d. CORRECT Of the responses given, this one is most
consistent with the requirements of Paragraph 5.02, which states: "Forensic
practitioners seek to avoid undue influence that might result from financial
compensation or other gains. Because of the threat to impartiality presented by the
acceptance of contingent fees and associated legal prohibitions, forensic practitioners
strive to avoid providing professional services on the basis of contingent fees."
After speaking at a workshop at a large university, Dr. A., a renowned expert on eating
disorders, is approached by a woman who asks him about her daughter who she
believes is beginning to exhibit symptoms of anorexia nervosa. Dr. A. gives the woman
the phone numbers of three therapists in the area who have experience with this
disorder. Six months later, Dr. A. finds out that the woman is planning to file a
malpractice suit against him: During that time, her daughter received treatment from one
of the therapists on Dr. A.'s list but became much worse and is currently hospitalized.
The woman feels that Dr. A. is responsible for not adequately warning her of the
potential course of her daughter's disorder. In terms of malpractice:
A
Dr. A. is guilty because he had a "duty to warn" the woman about possible
complications of anorexia nervosa.
B
, Dr. A. is guilty because he apparently did not give the woman adequate re
ANSWERS D. CORRECT Dr. A. clearly does not have a professional relationship with
the woman or her daughter and, therefore, is not guilty of malpractice.
Legally, the following elements must be present before a malpractice suit is possible: (1)
the psychologist must have a professional relationship with the individual with a
resulting duty to him/her; (2) there must be some negligence or dereliction of that duty
by the psychologist; and (3) some harm must have come to the individual as a result of
the psychologist's negligence or dereliction.
According to the APA's General Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services, the
term "psychological services" applies to all of the following except:
A
administration and scoring of psychological tests.
B
teaching psychology at a university.
C
supervising delivery of psychological services.
D
conducting psychotherapy in private practice. ANSWERS b. CORRECT As noted
above, this activity is not defined as a psychological service.
Of the cases processed by the APA's Ethics Committee as the result of revocation of a
psychologist's license by a state licensing board, the most common complaint
processed by the committee is which of the following?
A
loss of licensure in another jurisdiction
B
sexual misconduct
C
breach of confidentiality
D
issues related to competence ANSWERS A
loss of licensure in another jurisdiction
A review of the reports of the APA's Ethics Committee published in the American
Psychologist from 2000 through 2008 reveals that loss of licensure is the most frequent
reason for the complaints processed by the Ethics Committee; followed by, in order,
sexual misconduct with an adult, inappropriate practice involving child custody,
nonsexual dual relationship, and inappropriate practice involving insurance or fees.
The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) is best described as:
A
a measure of basic knowledge of psychology.
B
a predictor of job proficiency.
C
an aptitude test.
D
a way to protect the public from incompetent psychologists. ANSWERS A
a measure of basic knowledge of psychology.
A woman calls you asking for information about her son who is a current client of yours.
You have been seeing the son in individual therapy since he was 17. He is now 18-1/2
and has just started college. This mother is paying for her son's therapy. You should:
A
provide the woman with the information she has requested about her son.
B
provide the woman only with information that is relevant to the purpose of her request.
C
provide the woman only with that part of the record that pertains to her son before he
turned 18.
D
provide the woman with information only with the permission of her son. ANSWERS
D
provide the woman with information only with the permission of her son.
d. CORRECT Since the son has reached the age of majority, his mother's right to
access to his records has ceased, and his permission is required to provide her with any
information from his records.
Dr. Blue, a psychologist, is hired by a company to administer tests for the purpose of
evaluating current employees to determine if they should be considered for promotion.
In this situation:
A
an informed consent from examinees should be obtained.
B
an informed consent is not required since the employer is Dr. Blue's "client."
,C
an informed consent from examinees is not required, although they should be reminded
about the limits of confidentiality.
D
it is up to Dr. Blue to decide whether any information about the test should be given to
examinees. ANSWERS a. CORRECT In most situations, psychologists obtain
informed consents prior to testing from the person being evaluated or his/her legal
guardian. Although there are exceptions in certain employment situations, this response
is the best of those given.
Dr. Fran Flummox is asked by the plaintiff's attorney to serve as an expert witness on
behalf of the plaintiff in a malpractice suit. The attorney asks Dr. Flummox if she would
be willing to waive her usual fee and accept a proportion of the anticipated settlement
instead. As an ethical psychologist, Dr. Flummox:
A
may agree to do so because accepting a contingent fee is acceptable in this situation.
B
should agree to do so only if the contingent fee will represent the "fair market value" of
her services.
C
should agree to do so only if she determines that accepting the contingent fee is in the
best interests of the plaintiff.
D
should refuse to do so because psychologists should avoid accepting contingent fees in
this situation. ANSWERS d. CORRECT Of the responses given, this one is most
consistent with the requirements of Paragraph 5.02, which states: "Forensic
practitioners seek to avoid undue influence that might result from financial
compensation or other gains. Because of the threat to impartiality presented by the
acceptance of contingent fees and associated legal prohibitions, forensic practitioners
strive to avoid providing professional services on the basis of contingent fees."
After speaking at a workshop at a large university, Dr. A., a renowned expert on eating
disorders, is approached by a woman who asks him about her daughter who she
believes is beginning to exhibit symptoms of anorexia nervosa. Dr. A. gives the woman
the phone numbers of three therapists in the area who have experience with this
disorder. Six months later, Dr. A. finds out that the woman is planning to file a
malpractice suit against him: During that time, her daughter received treatment from one
of the therapists on Dr. A.'s list but became much worse and is currently hospitalized.
The woman feels that Dr. A. is responsible for not adequately warning her of the
potential course of her daughter's disorder. In terms of malpractice:
A
Dr. A. is guilty because he had a "duty to warn" the woman about possible
complications of anorexia nervosa.
B
, Dr. A. is guilty because he apparently did not give the woman adequate re
ANSWERS D. CORRECT Dr. A. clearly does not have a professional relationship with
the woman or her daughter and, therefore, is not guilty of malpractice.
Legally, the following elements must be present before a malpractice suit is possible: (1)
the psychologist must have a professional relationship with the individual with a
resulting duty to him/her; (2) there must be some negligence or dereliction of that duty
by the psychologist; and (3) some harm must have come to the individual as a result of
the psychologist's negligence or dereliction.
According to the APA's General Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services, the
term "psychological services" applies to all of the following except:
A
administration and scoring of psychological tests.
B
teaching psychology at a university.
C
supervising delivery of psychological services.
D
conducting psychotherapy in private practice. ANSWERS b. CORRECT As noted
above, this activity is not defined as a psychological service.
Of the cases processed by the APA's Ethics Committee as the result of revocation of a
psychologist's license by a state licensing board, the most common complaint
processed by the committee is which of the following?
A
loss of licensure in another jurisdiction
B
sexual misconduct
C
breach of confidentiality
D
issues related to competence ANSWERS A
loss of licensure in another jurisdiction
A review of the reports of the APA's Ethics Committee published in the American
Psychologist from 2000 through 2008 reveals that loss of licensure is the most frequent
reason for the complaints processed by the Ethics Committee; followed by, in order,
sexual misconduct with an adult, inappropriate practice involving child custody,
nonsexual dual relationship, and inappropriate practice involving insurance or fees.
