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ASSESSMENT WISE

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Ethical Principles

Psychologists should uphold the ethical standards of professional conduct to protect the dignity and worth of all people. Clients' privacy, autonomy and self determination should be respected.

Hong Kong Psychological Society (2012) listed four major ethical principles for their members.

Four Major Ethical Principles
(Hong Kong Psychological Society, 2012)

General Respect

Recognize, value and accept individual differences.
Explain what have been done the ethical basis for the decisions made.
Avoid imposing values or practices on others.
Avoid practices that are biased and discriminatory.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Keep records of the clients with care.
Inform the clients of the limits of confidentiality.

Informed Consent

Explain the nature, purpose and anticipated consequences of services to the clients.
Ensure the clients give informed consent.
In case informed consent cannot be obtained from the clients, consent from appropriate representative or authority should be sough.

Self-determination

Support the self-determination of clients.
Let the clients know that they have the right to withdraw from the services at any time.

Assessment ethics

Psychological assessments should not do harm to the clients. Psychologists are reminded to observe the assessment ethics.

Intention

Consider the rationale of conducting the assessments. The decision of the use of assessments should be based on the needs of the clients.

Process

Keep professional relationship with the clients
Get informed consent
Beware of the privacy issues
Inviolacy
Competent use of the instruments

Consequence

Interpretation and use of the results accurately
Communicate the results with the clients/ his parents
Consider the labelling effect

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Use of materials

Test security
Confidentiality

Exception to confidentiality

Suspicion of child maltreatment
A child poses a threat to himself/herself
A child poses a physical threat to another person
The delay of medical treatment would pose a health risk to the child
Treat is needed to decrease the physical pain of a child

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