PSYC306

This course will initially introduce students to the philosophy of ethics, applying a range of philosophical positions to various dilemmas in the field of psychology. How these philosophical positions are interpreted with regard to various Codes of Ethics in the helping professions will also be examined. This will be followed by a review of the specific debates that underlie, and/or result from, various schools of thought in the field of psychology. Next, specific controversies within the field of psychology will be examined, with the hope that these will be understood within the context of the larger philosophical positions covered earlier in the semester. Finally, some of the salient legal issues, such as patient confidentiality, research ethics and practitioner malpractice in the field of psychology will be addressed.