Student-run Psych Society hosted first-ever Ethics Competition that made learning interactive
What should a therapist do if a patient adds them on social media and then gets upset when the therapist doesn’t follow them back? Or what if a psychological study on discrimination is causing some participants to feel triggered? These are examples of ethical dilemmas – situations that often arise in the psychology field that can be challenging to solve; professionals must exercise caution.
Inside the classroom, Psychology students at the University of Guelph-Humber (U of GH) are learning about frameworks for working through ethical dilemmas that they may face in the workforce one day. These analytic thinking skills are critical when navigating ethical dilemmas to minimize patient harm.
“Studying ethical dilemmas in psychology is essential, as it trains those who will work in mental health care and related fields to resolve conflicts, highlighting core values such as informed consent, individual autonomy, avoiding harm, ensuring client trust, and professional integrity,” Psychology Acting Associate Head Dr. Nalini Ramlal said.
The student-run Psych Society wanted to bring that learning to life outside the classroom, which is why they hosted the Ethics Competition for the first time. The aim of the event was to allow students an opportunity to apply their knowledge in a fun, interactive way, without the added pressure of academic grading. The Psych Society also wanted to foster community among students interested in psychology and its real-world applications. And while the event primarily catered to Psychology students, it was open to students of all programs.
“With this competition, students had the opportunity to really enjoy the experience of solving the dilemma by using the different codes of ethics and connecting with peers that maybe they haven't connected with before,” fourth-year Psychology student Veronica Wood said, who is the president of the Psych Society and spearheaded this event.
During the competition, students formed teams to solve an ethical dilemma case study for about 15 minutes using structured analysis, then presented it to a panel of judges comprised of Dr. Ramlal, instructor Dr. Victor Nwasor, and instructor Dr. Carol-Anne Hendry. The judges provided each team with a score, and the team with the highest score won. The ethical dilemmas spanned across different areas of psychology, from clinical to industrial to business and more.
Some of the ethical frameworks that the students applied during the ethics competition were professional standards and ethical guidelines from the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists, the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. These are associations that regulate the practice of clinical work in psychology and psychotherapy. Students also applied Dr. Elizabeth Welfel’s ten-step model of decision making, which is a step-by-step model used to support practitioners, researchers, and educators in resolving ethical dilemmas, Dr. Ramlal said.
“This event allowed for students to get a feel for real-world dilemmas that they may be faced with in their future careers, promoting critical thinking and ethical reasoning,” second-year Psychology student Christabell Zalwango said, who helped organize the event.
Second-year Psychology student, Melanie Silva, who also assisted in organizing the event, said she hoped participants enjoyed the process of applying ethical frameworks to solve dilemmas.
“Hosting this event is important for U of GH students because it emphasizes the importance of experiential learning and really applying all the theoretical material we digest in the classroom,” she said.
Moreover, Wood, who has been part of the Psych Society since her first year at Guelph-Humber, said she hopes the society carries on the Ethics Competition annually, giving students a taste of professional thinking before they embark on graduate school or their career.
To learn more about the Psychology program at U of GH, click here.