I am a student doing a module called sport and exercise psychology. As part of this module I need to give a 30-minute seminar and essay on 'ethical considerations for sport and exercise psychologists'. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

-- Andrew Burke (andrewburke@breathemail.net), February 18, 2000

Answers

There are plenty of areas in sport psychology where ethics come into play. For the seminar, I might begin by asking a question(s) of your class and process the ensuing discussion. For example, who is the "client" in a sport psychology consultation? Is it the athlete, the team, the sport organization? Would the answers change for the above if the person were a psychologist rather than a non- psychologist performance enhancement consultant or be different if the client was a teenager? Answers to these questions force students to consider a number of ethical principles especially as they relate to informing clients re: the limits of confidentiality and areas of expertise. Students should also begin to see how legal, ethical, and professional practice issues are related but distinct, and often the way in which these issues are handled are quite important to forming a working relationship. Your essay could then use a hypothetical case and ask students to comment on what ethical principles come into play.

-- Frank Perna, EdD (fperna2@wvu.edu), March 11, 2000.