2010 Assessment Resource - Internal
Level 1 Psychology
Demonstrate knowledge of the key principles of the Code of Ethics for psychologists
working in Aotearoa/New Zealand
Credits: 4
Teacher guidelines:
The following guidelines are supplied to enable teachers to carry out valid and consistent
assessment using this internal assessment resource.
Context/setting:
In this activity students will demonstrate knowledge of the key principles of the Code of Ethics
for psychologists working in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
As part of the teaching programme you could work through one or more scenarios or pieces of
psychological research to demonstrate knowledge of the key principles of the Code of Ethics for
psychologists working in Aotearoa/New Zealand. A range of activities needs to be offered in
class which will help students understand why ethics is an essential part of psychological research
and practice.
You will also give students opportunities to study the key principles of the Code of Ethics for
psychologists working in Aotearoa/New Zealand. This Code of Ethics and other supporting
material is available from the New Zealand Psychological Society
http://www.psychology.org.nz/.
Conditions:
The assessment task as outlined in this support material will be a presentation of students’ choice.
This can be written, oral, or audio-visual. Teachers may choose to prescribe the presentation
format. Students will be given two weeks of class time to complete their presentation. Work can
also be done out of class time. This support material incorporates scheduled checkpoints to
monitor the progress of students’ work. As students are able to undertake research outside of
class time, they will be required to complete a declaration of authenticity.
You will provide students with a range of studies, from which they will choose one or more
scenarios or pieces of psychological research to base their presentation on. The studies you
provide the students need to offer the students the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge of the
key principles of the Code of Ethics for psychologists working in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
References may be oral, visual and/ or written and may be selected from one or several text types.
Texts should be appropriate to Level 6 of the NZC, or have characteristics that enable students to
meet the expected level of understanding. Assessment of this standard also provides opportunities
for students to develop aspects of the key competencies of the NZC. Students can read texts,
collect information and develop ideas for the assessed presentation both in and out of class time.
Teachers will need to schedule checkpoints to ensure authenticity.
Before assessment begins, teachers should guide students through the process of exploring texts,
reading for meaning, and locating relevant information.
Students need to keep a record of all the source material they use. A suggested reference record
for source material has been provided. Source material can include, but is not limited to, books,
websites, podcasts, journals, newspapers, magazines, photographs. To get students into the habit
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of using citation styles as used by psychologists across the world, teachers will need to teach
students how to cite references using the American Psychological Association (APA) citation
style. Guidance on APA citation style can be found through http://www.apastyle.org/ or through
the referencing functions provided by various software programmes.
Where student work is to be presented for assessment, constructive feedback should not
compromise authenticity but can validly include suggestions about areas where further
developments are needed. Students should have the opportunity to receive feedback at each
checkpoint to edit, revise and polish their work before assessment judgements are made.
Resource requirements:
1)
Code of Ethics For Psychologists Working in Aotearoa/New Zealand, 2002
2)
A range of selected studies. Possible studies could include:
a.
Milgram (1963)
b.
Zimbardo (1973)
c.
Watson (1920)
d.
Pavlov (1927)
e.
Rosenhan (1973)
f.
Latané and Darley (1968)
g.
Harlow (1969)
h.
Gavey (2005)
3)
A range of selected scenarios. Possible scenarios could include:
a.
an individual visiting a psychologist for the treatment of anxiety
b.
the ethics of reality media e.g. Survivor, stunt telephone calls by radio ‘shockjocks’, tabloid press coverage of celebrities
c.
the ethics of advertising.
4)
Weatherall, A., Wilson, M., Harper, D., McDowall, J., (2007) Psychology in
Aotearoa/New Zealand. Pearson: Auckland.
Additional information:
The mode in which students present the key principles of the Code of Ethics for psychologists
working in Aotearoa/New Zealand could be assessed against other standards such as writing, oral
presentation and visual text standards. Wherever such integration between different parts of the
programme occurs, teachers must ensure that the work presented for assessment is developed
sufficiently in order to meet the criteria for the other standard.
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You can’t do that! Ethical practice in Aotearoa/New Zealand psychology
Credit: 6
Student Instructions Sheet
During your Psychology programme in class, your teacher will work through one or more
scenarios or pieces of psychological research to demonstrate knowledge of the key principles of
the Code of Ethics for psychologists working in Aotearoa/New Zealand. You will do a range of
activities in class which will help you understand why ethics is an essential part of psychological
research and practice.
Your teacher will also give you opportunities to study the key principles of the Code of Ethics for
psychologists working in Aotearoa/New Zealand. This Code of Ethics and other supporting
material is available from the New Zealand Psychological Society
http://www.psychology.org.nz/.
Your assessment task will be a presentation of your choice and can be written, oral, or audiovisual. You will be given two weeks of class time to complete your presentation. Work can also
be done out of class time. Teachers will schedule checkpoints to ensure the authenticity of your
work. As part of the assessment process you will also be required to complete a declaration of
authenticity.
Your teacher will provide you with a range of scenarios or studies from which you will choose
one or more to base your presentation on. You will use these to demonstrate knowledge of the
key principles of the Code of Ethics for psychologists working in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Your presentation should:
 outline the key principles of the Code of Ethics
 identify the principles most relevant to your scenarios or studies
 describe how the key principles relate to psychological practice
For merit or excellence your presentation may also include:
 examples to support the core ideas
 comprehensive understanding of the key principles as they relate to your scenarios or studies
 relating the key principles holistically and/or perceptively to psychological practice.
As part of your Psychology programme your teacher will work with you to source reference texts
or other materials.
Keeping a record of reference or sourced material
As you create your presentation you will need to keep a record of all the source material you will
use. This is an important part of the ethical process as well! Your source material can include
books, websites, podcasts, journals, newspapers, magazines, photographs. Draw up a record sheet
so that you can record your sources in an ongoing way over the course of work. To get you into
the habit of using citation styles as used by psychologists across the world, please cite your
references using the American Psychological Association (APA) citation style. Guidance on APA
citation style can be found through http://www.apastyle.org/ or through the referencing functions
provided by various software programmes.
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Example of reference record
Source description
Book – Psychology in Aotearoa/New Zealand
Picture of prisoner
APA Reference
Weatherall, A., Wilson, M., Harper, D.,
McDowall, J., (2007) Psychology in
Aotearoa/New Zealand. Pearson: Auckland.
Stanford Prison Experiment website,
http://www.prisonexp.org/ accessed 20 May
2010
Assessment guide
For achieved
Will involve the student
making points relevant to the
Code of Ethics in relation to
psychological practice.
For merit
Will involve the student
making coherent points which
are relevant to the collection
of chosen studies being
addressed with the majority of
the points being relevant to the
principles of the Code of
Ethics
For excellence
Will involve the student
making coherent points which
are relevant to the Code of
Ethics and which will be
developed and integrated in
relation to psychological
practice.
To complete the assessment for this standard there are three checkpoints you need to complete
before you can make your final presentation.
Checkpoint One:
Complete this presentation plan. When completing the section on time management note the dates
you intend to complete each checkpoint and the steps you need to take to do this.
The format I will use for my presentation is…
The resources I need for my presentation are…
My time management plan for preparing the presentation is
 Checkpoint one

Checkpoint two

Checkpoint three

Presentation due date
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Checkpoint Two:
Use the table below to help you achieve your second assessment checkpoint. You will need to
examine the Code of Ethics for psychologists working in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Then in your
own words answer the three questions below.
What is the purpose of the code of ethics?
Explain the ideas behind each of the four key principles of the code of ethics.
The code states “In giving effect to the Principles and Values of this Code of Ethics there shall be
due regard for New Zealand’s cultural diversity and in particular for the provisions of, and the
spirit and intent of, the Treaty of Waitangi”.
Explain what this means and find an example within the code of an implication for researchers
and practitioners.
Checkpoint Three:
Use the table below to help you achieve your third assessment checkpoint. You will need to
examine your chosen scenarios or studies and identify where they may have complied with the
Code of Ethics. If you find any instances where the Code may not have been complied with, note
this too.
Source
Describe where the scenario or
study complied with the Code
of Ethics
You are now ready to begin your presentation!
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Describe, if applicable, where
the scenario or study did not
comply with the Code of Ethics
Study: Harlow (1969)
Ethics 1 Evidence Statements: Demonstrate knowledge of the key principles of the Code of Ethics for psychologists working in
Aotearoa/New Zealand
Achievement
Understanding:
Make points relevant to the Code of Ethics.
Achievement with Merit
Detailed understanding:
Make coherent points which
are relevant to the topic being
addressed with the majority of
the points being relevant to the
principles of the Code of
Ethics.
Achievement with Excellence
In depth understanding:
Make coherent points which are
relevant to the topic being
addressed and which will be
developed and integrated with the
principles of the Code of Ethics.
Outline the principles
Key principles and their clauses include:
Respect for the Dignity of Persons and Peoples
General respect; non-discrimination; relations between Maori and Non-Maori; Sensitivity to
diversity; children/young persons; privacy and confidentiality; informed consent
Responsible Caring
Promotion of wellbeing; competence; active participation; vulnerability; children/ young persons;
wellbeing of human research participants; animals
Integrity in Relationships
Honesty; personal values; structure of relationships; conflicts of interest
Social Justice and Responsibility to Society.
Welfare of society; respect for society; benefit to society; accountability, standards and ethical
practice
For each principle, describe its purpose and the ideas behind it.
Show detailed understanding
of the principles
Show an in-depth and coherent
understanding of the principles
As for Achieved plus:
Provide points about the
principles and their clauses
that are well structured and
coherently linked to the topic
being addressed.
As for Merit plus:
The response should focus on the
linkages between the 4 principles
and be able to consider the Code of
Ethics as a whole.
Outline at least TWO coherent
links between the principles
and the scenario
As for Achieved plus;
additional examples or ideas
that outline one or more of the
following:
How the experiment might
have been altered to comply
with the principles
Why his experiment would not
be given ethical approval in
New Zealand
The linkages between
principles.
Develop and integrate the links
between the principles and the
scenario
Identify at least ONE link between the principles and the scenario
The most relevant principles that needed to be addressed in this study were:
Principle 2: Responsible Caring.
Promotion of well-being: Harlow did not consider the potential harm to his subjects, nor predict
the likelihood of it occurring nor endeavour to correct these harmful effects.
Competence: Arguably, he showed a lack of competence in dealing with his subjects and did not
take into account how his own experiences contributed to this work.
Animals: this research was not ethically sound and contributed to the rise of the animal liberation
movement.
Principle 4: Social Justice and Responsibility to Society
Benefit to society: Many of his findings have been used in ways he did not anticipate and his ideas
about the role of food versus comfort in attachment. He did not address this possible societal
effect in his research.
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As for Merit plus:
Excellence students can see that
the 4 principles inter-relate and
that all four need to be applied in
order for the Code of Ethics to be
upheld. This may include a
perceptive focus on the
implications of breaching the Code
of Ethics.
Scenario: Stunt telephone calls
by radio ‘shock-jocks’
Outline the principles
Key principles and their clauses include;
Respect for the Dignity of Persons and Peoples
General respect; non-discrimination; relations between Maori and Non-Maori; Sensitivity to
diversity; children/young persons; privacy and confidentiality; informed consent
Responsible Caring
Promotion of wellbeing; competence; active participation; vulnerability; children/ young persons;
wellbeing of human research participants; animals
Integrity in Relationships
Honesty; personal values; structure of relationships; conflicts of interest
Social Justice and Responsibility to Society.
Welfare of society; respect for society; benefit to society; accountability, standards and ethical
practice
For each principle, describe its purpose and the ideas behind it.
Identify at least ONE link between the principles and the scenario
The most relevant principles that needed to be addressed in this study were:
The most relevant principles are:
Principle 1: Respect for the dignity of Persons and Peoples
General respect: These stunts intentionally harass and exploit participants and foster a lack of
dignity.
Non-discrimination: They actively target individuals who are part of minority groups or who are
perceived to be different from the ‘norm’.
Privacy and confidentiality: These stunts are recorded for the express purpose of broadcasting
them. This is often done ‘live’ and no attempt is made to protect identities.
Informed consent: Little or no information is provided to the subject/victim prior to the stunt so
they are in no position to make a decision about their participation.
Principle 3: Integrity in Relationships
Honesty: The Radio ‘shock-jocks’ generally deceive their subjects and also do not worry about
accuracy of information. They rarely correct errors and often mislead.
Show detailed understanding
of the principles
Show an in-depth and coherent
understanding of the principles
Provide points about the
principles and their clauses
that are well structured and
coherently linked to the topic
being addressed.
As for Merit plus:
The response should focus on the
linkages between the 4 principles
and be able to consider the Code of
Ethics as a whole.
Outline at least TWO coherent
links between the principles
and the scenario
Develop and integrate the links
between the principles and the
scenario
As for Achieved plus;
Additional examples or ideas
that outline one or more of the
following:
How these stunts might have
been altered to comply with
the principles
Why these stunts would not be
given ethical approval in New
Zealand
The linkages between
principles
As for Merit plus:
Excellence students can see that
the 4 principles inter-relate and
that all four need to be applied in
order for the Code of Ethics to be
upheld. This may include a
perceptive focus on the
implications of breaching the Code
of Ethics.
Notes:


The evidence statements outline the most relevant principles that seem to breach the Code of Ethics for each scenario/study. Students may also use examples from
the topic addressed that show how the Code of Ethics was upheld, but must address the deficits in the study/scenario as this how understanding is demonstrated.
Evidence statements are indicative and not exclusive.
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Judgement Statements
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
Demonstrate understanding:
Demonstrate detailed understanding:
Demonstrate in-depth understanding:
Outline the four principles of the Code of
Ethics by describing their purpose and the
ideas behind each principle.
Outline coherent points about the four
principles of the Code of Ethics by
describing their purpose and the ideas behind
each principle.
Outline coherent points about the four
principles of the Code of Ethics by
describing their purpose and the ideas behind
each principle.
AND
Demonstrate, in detail, a range of relevant
links between the principles and the
scenario/study. This will include examples of
where the topic addressed either did, or did
not, comply with the Code of Ethics.
AND
Develop a range of relevant and coherent
points that integrate the scenario/study with
the principles of the Code of Ethics. This
may include implications and/or alternate
courses of action.
AND
Identify at least one relevant link between the
principles and the scenario/ study.
Note: The majority of the points about the
topic addressed must be relevant to the
principles detailed.
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