Meta-Code of Ethics

Transnational Ethical Guidance and the Development of the EFPA

 

Geoff Lindsay

Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research (CEDAR), University of Warwick,

Coventry. UK

 

Abstract. Ethical practice is one of the fundamental characteristics of a profession. The development of common codes was an еearly aim of the European Federation of Professional Psychologists Associations (EFPPA), now the European Federation of Psychologists Association (EFPA), which sought to develop common Standards across Member Associations. This paper describes: the development of the Meta-Code of Ethics, approved in 1995; the subsequent review of its fitness for purpose, leading to the second edition in 2005; and other guidance on ethical practice, including procedures for the evaluation of alleged unethical practice and for determining corrective actions to be taken, including mediation. The success of the Meta-code is reviewed, including its contribution to current initiatives to develop universal ethical practice by psychologists, in the context of new challenges arising from developments within psychology and from changes within society, including concerns about national security.

 

Keywords: Meta-Code of Ethics, evaluation of unethical practice, national security

Professions are characterized by specific bodies of knowl­edge that practitioners "profess," along with skills that they execute in the service of their clients. In addition, the prac­titioners of a profession typically subscribe to a set of stan­dards of behavior governed by ethical considerations. Hence practitioners" implementation of their profession is more than a question of technical skills informed by technical knowledge. Rather, the ethical dimension requires decisions on such matters as when an action is appropriate, with whom and within what context. Ethical considerations, therefore, may be considered to be superordinate to the more basic knowledge and skills that concern the practice of a craft.

Ethical considerations, however, may follow later than the technical elements in the development of a profession. They will be influenced by questions of morality as concep­tualized by the society within which the profession is devel­oping and also the experiences of the early proponents of the craft in question as a particular profession is fonned. Unlike technical knowledge and skills, however, ethical consider­ations are shaped by value judgments. Skills and knowledge appropriate to a profession develop from experience of what is needed by clients, what is available to address those needs, and the knowledge and skills of the practitioner to implement the necessary interventions. Ethical consider­ations are shaped by these developments but also by the val­ues attributed to interventions per se and their results (Lindsay, 1995). In short, knowledge and skills may develop in a manner that allows a professional to act successfully to ensure specific outcomes but ethical considerations raise questions about whether the necessary actions are appropriate, and/or whether the outcomes, actual or potential, are acceptable.

When considering a profession it is also useful to con­sider three other issues beyond knowledge, skills, and ethics. First, the profession will have systematic training. This seeks to ensure that the body of knowledge and skills of that pro­fession are developed in new members, and to the minimum standard of practice deemed necessary. Second, professions develop organizations of their members. These support both individuals and the profession as a whole. Such organiza­tions are both inward- as well as outward-looking. The latter perspective is characterized by the aims and objective? rrf the organization being stated with respect to the public: What the profession will seek to perform for the public good? The former, inward-looking perspective, concerns the organization's support of its own members. This may comprise measures to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and skills: journals, conferences, and the like. However, his­torically, this purpose has often also developed into a role for the protection of the members' rights as workers, in other words a trade union. When the European Federation of Psychologists' Associations (EFPA) was formed. Member Associations were found to have different origins and cur­rent characteristics. For example, the Portuguese society was in the tradition of a union ("syndicate") whereas the British Psychological Society' (BPS) was forbidden by its Royal Charter from such a role. Such distinctions reflected national cultural differences, developed historically within each country.

The final characteristic concerns the regulation of its practitioners. Two methods are relevant. Initial training is designed to develop basic competences, and continuing pro­fessional development (CPD) is a process whereby such competencies are maintained and developed further as new knowledge and techniques are created. These processes are essentially proactive, quality assurance mechanisms aimed at instilling "good practice" and supporting self-regulation. However, professions have discovered over time that this may not be enough and that a more formal system of regulation may be necessary. With respect to ethical behavior of professionals the two main institutionalized means of support are an ethical code and a regulatory sys­tem that addresses alleged unethical conduct.

The focus of this paper is on the development of an ethical code and other guidance to help guide the professional practice of European psychologists, and of regulatory sys­tems for psychologists which seek to ensure ethical conduct proactively and, reactively, to address alleged unethical con­duct. The paper will draw upon the work of the Standing Committee on Ethics (SCE - initially the Task Force on Ethics) of the EFPA.¹ The development of the EFPA Meta-Code of Ethics and other guidelines, including those for deal­ing with complaints, will also be considered. Finally, the implications and development of the Meta-code and other guidance developed by the SCE will be considered in a world-wide context and with reference to future challenges.

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