Ethics in Sport Psychology
Why Ethical Standards are Needed in the Testing of Athletes
By Dan Gould
A. To protect the rights of those involved
B. To maintain quality control of testing instruments used in psychological testing in sport
C. There has been reported cases of the misuse of psychological tests and information for financial gain, as well as considerable confusion in the sport psychology literature because of invalid and /or inappropriate interpretation of psychological findings
Guidelines for Experimentation in Physical Education and Athletics
A. Protect the rights of those involved
1. Responsibility remains with the individual investigator.
2. Disclosure – inform participants of “all” features of the research that may effect their willingness to participate.
3. Consent and Withdrawal – respect the participants freedom to decline to participate or to withdraw from the research.
4. Physical and Mental Discomfort – protect the subjects.
5. Debriefing after data is collected
6. Confidentiality – No one has access to the data but the participant.
B. Maintaining Quality Control of Testing Instruments
1. Test Purposes and Limitations – only use test for specified purpose and recognise its limitations.
2. Test Administration – any assessment device is valid only for the purpose and population it was intended for.
3. User Qualifications – What qualifications are needed to administer and interpret the test?
4. Test Validity and Reliability
Professional Conduct of Field Studies
A. Too many investigators “use” their subjects. They are tested and forgotten.
B. What can be done?
1. Test purpose and limitations – only use tests for their specified purpose and recognise their limitations.
2. Confidentiality
3. If treatment is successful with an experimental group, offer to utilise it with the control participants after the experiment is complete.
4. Provide a summary of the findings of the investigation.
Types of Sport Psychology Consultants
A. Clinical – Help athletes who experience severe emotional problems. Typically individual oriented. Credentials = licensed/certified psychologist, psychiatrist or counsellor.
B. Educational – Help athletes develop psychological skills (e.g. relaxation, imagery). Generally group delivered. Most physical educators.