ERIC Number: EJ1416478
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0098-6283
EISSN: EISSN-1532-8023
The Ethics of Psychology Professors' Behaviors: Perceptions from Both Sides of the Podium
Kristi S. Multhaup; Dustin Smith; Adam Hunter; Maurya M. Boyd; Scott Tonidandel
Teaching of Psychology, v51 n2 p207-219 2024
Background: Academic role (undergraduates, professors) and institutional context (liberal arts colleges, research universities) may affect how ethical psychology professors' behaviors seem. Objective: This study assessed whether academic role and institutional context related to ratings of professorial behaviors' ethicality. Method: A national sample (N = 608) rated 70 professorial behaviors (e.g., "unethical in virtually all circumstances to ethical in virtually all circumstances") across four domains: teaching, grading, relationships, and professional procedure. Results: G-test of independence analyses yielded differences across academic role (student, professor) for 57% of teaching behaviors, 50% of grading behaviors, 63% of relationship behaviors, and 52% of professional procedure behaviors, although the difference was often a matter of degree rather than kind (ethical or unethical). Differences across institution type (liberal arts college, research university) were largest for relationship behaviors (25%) compared with teaching, grading, and policy behaviors (5%, 0%, 4%, respectively). Conclusion: The data highlight the need for professors' transparency and reinforce calls for the APA Ethics Code to consider context when defining ethical standards for psychologists' behaviors. Teaching Implications: The data set can enhance undergraduate education about the APA Ethics Code and spark discussion about sampling (e.g., limitations of this study are homogenous samples, including high-achieving undergraduates).
Descriptors: College Faculty, Psychology, Teacher Behavior, Ethics, Institutional Environment, Teacher Role, Context Effect, Standards, Teacher Attitudes, Undergraduate Students, Student Attitudes, Grading, Interpersonal Relationship, Professionalism
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute on Aging (NIA) (DHHS/NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1R15AG03887901A1
Data File: URL: https://osf.io/ceqgj/?view_only=9808d3d9701d424da7f2386864a87a7b