Standards
on competence can be simply described as being able to provide services by
having received the proper and related education, experience and training (Fisher,
2013) This is important to ethics because, most importantly, as a psychologist,
the general principle is to “do no harm”. This is where principle A,
beneficence and nonmaleficence (to do good and no harm)is enforced. Competence is being able to perform your job
with all of the resources, training, and experience needed to perform
competently. It is important for someone
giving a counseling session, doing research, teaching, or providing any type of
therapy to have the proper information and education they need to be sure they
know what they are doing, and how to handle different situations.
Just
think of it in a medical aspect for a moment.
Someone who is an EMT, could not have a fill in person who works in
their office as a receptionist; they would be incompetent. That person wouldn’t
know how to go about the life saving procedures, for example, in the event of a
heart attack; therefore they are causing harm. No one should be doing a job they
are not capable and properly trained to do.
In the
psychology field, someone who conducts research must have additional training
before they can provide therapy to patients.
An example of bad ethics would be if someone conducting research
provides a service for counseling without the additional education and training.
Also, psychologists should not suggest a change of medication unless they have
special training as a prescribing psychologist. This would be an example of bad
ethics because changing someone’s medication without proper knowledge could
have very harmful consequences. A patient on anti-psychotics or
anti-depressants who go off of their medications could end up harming
themselves or someone else.
