Decoding the Ethics Code, Ch. 4
Standards for
Resolving Ethical Issues
1. Resolving Ethical Issues
1.01 Misuse of Psychologists’ Work
If psychologists learn of misuse or misrepresentation of their work, they take reasonable steps to
correct or minimize the misuse or misrepresentation.
Psychologists have professional and scientific responsibilities to society and to
the specific individuals, organizations, and communities with whom they work to
ensure that their work products are not misused or misrepresented. Psychologists
cannot reasonably be expected to anticipate all the ways in which their work can
be wrongly used. Thus, Standard 1.01 of the APA Ethics Code (APA, 2010c)
focuses on corrective action that must be taken when psychologists learn that
others have misused or misrepresented their work. To remedy misuse, psychologists
can write letters to or speak with interested parties, request retraction of
misrepresentations, or discuss with appropriate persons the corrective measures
to be taken.