Please read the vignette below and respond to the following questions. You MUST apply an appropriate ethical decision making model from Bersoff or apply another ethical decision making model which you may prefer (e.g., Canadian Psychological Association; NASP, etc.). Use the steps of the decision making model to discuss your decision making process.

These responses should normally be three (3) to five (5) pages in length, and must explicitly use a decision making model to demonstrate understanding of the application of the ethical principles. It is not enough to just name a decision-making model; you must walk through the steps in your discussion.

It is rare for an ethical dilemma to involve only one issue, so you should take the time to reflect on the complications that present themselves in the situations described in the vignette. The several applicable ethical principles should be cited by number from the ethics code. The APA Ethics code should always be cited from its original publication or current APA publication NOT from your text.

Vignette:

Personnel Selection

An applicant with a provisional offer of employment, is required to earn certain scores on several selection tests among other job application requirements. He had significant trouble with one of the required tests, and his score was low enough that he would have failed the assessment and would be ineligible for hire if this had been the only criteria. As part of the established civil service criteria, he is given a different test of a similar type to confirm or deny the results of the first test administration.

The applicant looks extremely nervous. The job is clearly importantly to him. You make an effort to reassure, encourage him to relax, and advise him to approach the test honestly and in a matter of fact fashion. He gets up several times during the testing session to go to the bathroom. When you review the results, he has barely passed.

In reflecting on the test situation, you realize he had his cell phone with him each time he went to the bathroom. It is at least a possibility that he was calling someone to obtain help to pass the test (cheating).

What, if anything, should you do here? Who is your client? Since you didn’t catch him in the act, can you do anything about your suspicions? If you are wrong and you accuse him, would there be substantial harm?