Curricular Unit:Code:
Ethics and Deontology in Psychology783EDPS
Year:Level:Course:Credits:
3UndergraduatePsychology6 ects
Learning Period:Language of Instruction:Total Hours:
Portuguese/English78
Learning Outcomes of the Curricular Unit:
(i) To understand their ethical and cultural context;
(ii) To know how to apply the acquired knowledge in the field of ethics and deontology by demonstrating a professional approach based on ethics, to the work in the field of psychology;
(iii) To know how to gather, select and interpret the relevant information, especially in their scientific area, in order to be able to give an ethical justification of decisions and of judgments in professional field;
(iv) To know how to solve ethical and deontological dilemmas in the field of psychology and to know how to build and ground personal ethical and deontological arguments.
Syllabus:
(Prof. Teresa Toldy)
1st Unit – Fundamental concepts: 1. General definitions of “ethics, “morals” and “deontology”; 2. The role of consciousness and freedom in ethical decisions. 3. The “golden rule of ethics and respect for other; 4. Ethics of care and humanization.
(Prof. Susana Marinho)
2nd Unit – Ethics and Deontology in the field of Psychology: 1. The four prima facie principles: Beneficence; Non-maleficence; Justice; : 1. Process of decision-making; 3. Code of Ethics of the Portuguese Psychologists Chamber;3.1. General Principles; 3.2. Specific Principles; 4. Case studies: deontological and ethical dilemmas in Psychology.
Demonstration of the Syllabus Coherence with the Curricular Unit's Objectives:
1st unit - Syllabus contents focus on specific theoretical issues in the area of ethics, thus enabling the fulfillment of the course objectives, specifically: to understand their ethical and cultural context.
2nd unit - Syllabus contents focus on the theoretical practical application of knowledge in the field of deontology, thus enabling the fulfillment of the course objectives, namely: to know how to apply the acquired knowledge in the field of ethics and deontology by demonstrating a professional approach based on ethics, to the work in the field of psychology; to know how to gather, select and interpret the relevant information, especially in their scientific area, in order to be able to give an ethical justification of decisions and of judgments in professional field; and to know how to solve ethical and deontological dilemmas in the psychology practice and to know how to build and ground personal ethical and deontological arguments.
Teaching Methodologies (Including Evaluation):
Teaching methodology will include theoretical lecturing, research, reading and discussion of specific references, as well as thematic debating and critical reflection. Assessment will be continuous and based on a written test (50% of the final grade) on the 1st unity, and written essay with oral discussion (50% of the final grade) on the 2nd unit.
Demonstration of the Coherence between the Teaching Methodologies and the Learning Outcomes:
1st unit - Theoretical overview of the concept of ethics, deontology and morals as well as of the relation and difference between them. Theoretical reflection about suffering and respect for the other, as well as about the relevance of ethics of care and of humanization. 2nd unit - Theoretical exposition of the structure and the steps of the process of ethical decision making; Presentation of the structure, general and specific principles, and various sections of the Code of Ethics of the Portuguese Institute of Psychologists; exercises in class in the field of deontology in psychology and ethical principles in the field of psychology. Group work for improvement of knowledge (resolution of a dilemma in the field of ethics and deontology in psychology).
Reading:
Backendorf, J.M. (2020).Sobre a amplitude do cuidado como virtude moral. Griot: Rev. Filosofia, 20(1)93-105
Folque,A.;Magalhães,D.;Velho,C.V.(2018).O Cuidado nas profissões dedicadas ao bem-estar e desenvolvimento humano. Centro de Investigação em Educação e Psicologia da Univ. Évora.
Leach, Mark., M., Leong,Frederick,T.L (2010) Intern.Dimensions Psychological Ethics. Ethics & Behavior 20 (3/4) 175-178.
Martino,L.M.e Marques.A.C.(2019).A comunicação como ética da alteridade: pensando o conceito com Lévinas. Intercom–RBCC 42(3) 21-40
Ricou, M. (2014). A Ética e a Deontologia no exercício da Psicologia. Lisboa: OPP
Ricou, M., Sá, E., Nunes, R. (2017) The Ethical Principles of the Portuguese Psychologists: A Universal Dimension. The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy: A Forum for Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine, 42(2) 199–213, https://doi.org/10.1093/jmp/jhw066
Zanon, A. (2019). O princípio da alteridade de Lévinas como fundamento para a responsabilidade ética.Perseitas 8, 75-103.