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Unit of Study BHS40008 - Ethics and Professional Issues (Part 2 of 2) (2014)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

    To be eligible you must have either completed the appropriate core and elective units within the Bachelor of Psychology or completed the Bachelor of Psychological Science or the Graduate Diploma of Psychology according to the Award rules as specified in Southern Cross University's policy library.

Unit description

Acquaints students with ethical issues involved in the practice of psychology in research and professional contexts. Material covered includes ethics of research and practice, professional issues (Registration Board, APS, etc) and legal matters. This unit involves an examination of confidentiality and the nature of the relationship with clients.

Unit content

This is one of two units spanning sessions 1 and 2. The first session will focus primarily on issues related to research ethics and session 2 will primarily focus on professional issues.

Session 1 topics include:

  • Introduction to the APS code of Ethics
  • The role of ethics committees
  • National protocols related to research with human and animal participants
  • Ethical issues in research (informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity, protection and safety, use of deception, recruitment processes and debriefing).
  • Conduct of research which involve indigenous people or topics

Session 2 topics include:

  • Ethical issues in professional practice
  • Registration boards and Colleges in the APS
  • Professional practice
  • Confidentiality
  • Nature and limitations of the relationship with clients
  • Legal matters

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Coffs Harbour Session 2 Session 2

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
Learning outcome count Learning outcome description GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 Identify and resolve ethical dilemmas in relation to psychological research
2 Prepare a research ethics application
3 Analyse ethical dilemmas in relation to the APS Code of Ethics
4 Explain the ethical issues which arise in relation to confidentiality, professional and client relationships and suicide
5 Analyse the guidelines for research and practice in relation to vulnerable populations
6 Describe the role of the Psychology Board of Australia and the APS
7 Describe the functions and structure of APS

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. Identify and resolve ethical dilemmas in relation to psychological research
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
  2. Prepare a research ethics application
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
  3. Analyse ethical dilemmas in relation to the APS Code of Ethics
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
  4. Explain the ethical issues which arise in relation to confidentiality, professional and client relationships and suicide
    • GA2:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
  5. Analyse the guidelines for research and practice in relation to vulnerable populations
    • GA7:
  6. Describe the role of the Psychology Board of Australia and the APS
    • GA4:
  7. Describe the functions and structure of APS
    • GA4:
    • GA5:

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.