Book Review: Oxford Handbook of International Psychological Ethics
Editors: Mark M. Leach, Michael J. Stevens, Geoff Lindsay, Andrea Ferrero, and
Yesim Korkut
Publisher: Oxford University Press, 490 pages
Book Review by: Sonu Chandiram
Work by 82 educators in 21 countries who contributed articles on international psychological ethics makes this book truly international in perspective.
They hail from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, Hong Kong, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States.
This book is an international review of current and emerging ethical issues in the profession and science of psychology. Among the topics this book covers are:
• A concise history of ethical standards of psychology
• Cutting-edge developments and challenges in international psychological ethics, such as the search for universal ethical standards, ethical issues when working cross-nationally with immigrants and refugees, and ethical responses to security risks.
• Ethical developments and issues within specific geographical regions.
• Research utilizing new media available to psychologists
The editors point out: “psychology aims at understanding how people can strive to fulfill their aspirations, and how they can realize their true potential concerning their thoughts and actions, and it does this by describing, predicting, explaining, and optimizing psychological adaptation and development in the human ecology.”
They point out that “since the 1990s the world has become a better place to live in for many citizens, who now can fulfill their aspirations under conditions that offer better prospects with regard to human eights.” The editors refer to the political transformation to more democratic rule that has taken place in many countries, especially in Europe.
And they ask: did this social change, which has had such a profound effect on the world, also have an impact on the development of psychology, a field of research and practice that wants to promote the well-being of humankind?
The answer, which might surprise some readers, is: yes. The proof is found in chapter 27 of this book written by Michael Stevens. He shows that more prosperous and democratic countries have a higher share of psychologists in their population and a higher publication output of relevant research.
This effect is made possible in market economies with political freedom that enables human achievements. These countries also have:
• High life expectancy
• Widespread literacy
• Adequate living standards
As more countries become prosperous and adopt a democratic system of government, the editors write that they expect the discipline of psychology to grow as more people adopt it as their profession in these countries. This will enable individuals and organizations to align with or find compromises with one another.
This book of 32 chapters deals on five main areas of ethical issues in psychology viewed from an international perspective:
1. Overview of International Psychological Ethics
2. Current and Emerging International Ethical and Professional Development Issues
3. Psychological Ethics in Wider Contexts
4. Psychological Ethics by Region: Convergence and Divergence
5. Economic, Political and Social Influences on Psychological Ethics and Ethics Code Development
This book is unique in the sense that there is probably no other comparable book of its kind on the market. The editors produced this book for it to be the state-of-the-art source for information on psychological ethics worldwide, and to offer a comprehensive global review of contemporary ethical issues. I believe it has really accomplished its purpose.
Mark M. Leach, PhD is Professor and Director of Training of the Counseling Psychology program at the University of Louisville.
Michael J. Stevens, PhD is Professor of Psychology at Illinois State University, where he was named Outstanding University Researcher.
Geoff Lindsay, PhD is Director of the Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research at the University of Warwick, UK where he is also Professor of Educational Psychology and Special Needs Education.
Andrea Ferrero, PhD is a clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychology at San Luis University.
Yesim Korbut, PhD is clinical psychologist and associate professor at Bahceshir University Psychology Department in Istanbul, Turkey
