NCJ Number
156315
Journal
Ethics and Behavior Volume: 3 Issue: 3 and 4 Dated: (1993) Pages: 303-327
Date Published
1993
Length
25 pages
Annotation
Social responsibility is explored.
Abstract
This article explores the ethics of social responsibility in reference to six case vignettes drawn from forensic psychology. A definitional model of social responsibility is proposed, and two unequal components of the concept--respect for the individual and concern for social welfare--are identified. The sources of ethical conflict in regard to social responsibility are enumerated. Scholarly criticism of the value orientation of forensic psychology is reviewed. Forensic psychology is contrasted with social policy advocacy efforts made by organized psychology. The social responsibility obligations of psychologists in the microethical sphere, where their actions affect individuals, are differentiated from the obligations psychology has when operating in the macroethical sphere of social policy. The ethical problems inherent in policy advocacy brought about by individual psychologists working with individuals are underscored: the inevitable element of deception, the violation of role integrity, and the circumvention of social structures and institutions that safeguard the rights of individuals. References