The Ethics of Psychology Professors’ Behaviors: Perceptions From Both Sides of the Podium

Abstract

Background

Academic role (undergraduates, professors) and institutional context (liberal arts colleges, research universities) may affect how ethical psychology professors’ behaviors seem.

Objective

This study assessed whether academic role and institutional context related to ratings of professorial behaviors’ ethicality.

Method

A national sample (N = 608) rated 70 professorial behaviors (e.g., unethical in virtually all circumstances to ethical in virtually all circumstances) across four domains: teaching, grading, relationships, and professional procedure.

Results

G-test of independence analyses yielded differences across academic role (student, professor) for 57% of teaching behaviors, 50% of grading behaviors, 63% of relationship behaviors, and 52% of professional procedure behaviors, although the difference was often a matter of degree rather than kind (ethical or unethical). Differences across institution type (liberal arts college, research university) were largest for relationship behaviors (25%) compared with teaching, grading, and policy behaviors (5%, 0%, 4%, respectively).

Conclusion

The data highlight the need for professors’ transparency and reinforce calls for the APA Ethics Code to consider context when defining ethical standards for psychologists’ behaviors.

Teaching Implications

The data set can enhance undergraduate education about the APA Ethics Code and spark discussion about sampling (e.g., limitations of this study are homogenous samples, including high-achieving undergraduates).