Tag: Ethics


The Alluring Power of the Milgram Experiments, 50 Years Later

Milgram_Experiment

An illustration of the Milgram experiment. The infamous Milgram experiments in 1960 were loosely based on the experiments in conformity of Stanley Milgram’s mentor, Professor Solomon Asch. Since that time, similar experiments have been performed, and largely validated again and again: most recently in 2005 at Eindhoven University of Technology (this time using a robot… Read more »

Human Dignity and Humanistic Values: A Call to Humanistic Psychologyês Mission

hugs

Several years ago, when I learned of my election as President of Society for Humanistic Psychology and took on the role of President-Elect, I began to use this preparation time to reflect deeply on what it means to be a humanistic psychologist. Much of this preparation has been an exploration of the early history of… Read more »

Money Money Money: Part Two: Poverty

Poor_mother_and_children2C_Oklahoma2C_1936_by_Dorothea_Lange

Photo by Dorothea Lange, 1936. In Part One, I focused on what too much money seems to do one’s Being-in-the World—how it shifts both one’s ability to interact with others as well as make decisions. But clearly, not having enough money to satisfy one’s basic needs—such as food, housing, and transportation—is also going to have… Read more »

Money Money Money: Part One: Wealth

Chicklet-currency

“Money is the root of all evil.” –The New Testament “Money… that’s what I want.” –The Beatles Money makes our world go round. You might have thought it was gravity, or the strong force, or magnetism, or some other physical principle. Wrong. Money made the government shut down. Money ends some romantic and platonic relationships,… Read more »

Ethical Principles of Existential Psychotherapy: An Exploration

Chimaira_axb01

Photo by Alexander Buschorn. As the National Institute of Mental Health jettisons the DSM-5, I find myself pondering the “science” of psychology and its relationship to existentially oriented clinical practice. One must concede psychology’s woefully dubious track record: from phrenology and Mesmerism to prejudiced intelligence testing and pathologization of sexual orientation. Cause for suspicion abounds…. Read more »

Integrity and Congruence: A New Paradigm for Character

0619_-_Archaeological_Museum2C_Athens_-_The_Atalante_Hermes_-_Photo_by_Giovanni_Dall27Orto2C_Nov_10_2009

Photo by Giovanni Dall’Orto. Integrity is a suggestive, inarticulate word: its definition is hard to pin down. For most of my life, I’ve associated the word integrity with “character,” yet another evasive word with multiple meanings. I’ve thought of integrity as suggestive of morality, of the ability to stand up for what’s “right,” to sacrifice… Read more »

The Role of Morality in Trauma

Trauma represents a life altering experience. It engenders a sense of helplessness, confusion, and disorganization for those directly involved in it and for those who bear witness to it. Part of this confusion is attempting to decipher what is real and what is fantasy, what is inside and what is outside, what happened in the… Read more »

Questioning Ethics

Wikipedia_scale_of_justice_120wiki

There continues to be controversy regarding the perception of unethical conduct surrounding the DSM for more than 30 years. The DSM-5, approved this past weekend for publication in May 2013, has even been highly criticized by Allan Frances, the chair of the DSM-4 committee. There has also been evidence alleging ongoing financial conflict of interest… Read more »