ABCN Professional Ethics and Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A neuropsychologist is asked to serve as an expert witness in a case involving a former patient. What is the primary ethical concern?
- Dual relationship conflict between treating clinician and forensic evaluator roles (Correct answer)
- Insufficient training in forensic neuropsychology
- Lack of board certification in forensic practice
- Inability to maintain objectivity due to test familiarity
Correct answer: Dual relationship conflict between treating clinician and forensic evaluator roles
Serving as both treating clinician and forensic expert creates a dual relationship that compromises objectivity and impartiality.
Question 2: Under the APA Ethics Code, when must a neuropsychologist obtain written informed consent from a client?
- Only when conducting research
- When providing therapy but not assessment
- Before providing most professional services, including assessment (Correct answer)
- Only when the client is a minor
Correct answer: Before providing most professional services, including assessment
The APA Ethics Code requires informed consent before most professional services, including neuropsychological assessment.
Question 3: A neuropsychologist discovers that a colleague is regularly billing insurance for services not rendered. The most appropriate first step is to:
- Report immediately to state licensing board without discussion
- Confront the colleague directly and encourage correction of the behavior (Correct answer)
- Ignore it as it does not affect patient care
- Inform the colleague's supervisor anonymously
Correct answer: Confront the colleague directly and encourage correction of the behavior
APA ethics guidelines recommend attempting informal resolution by addressing the colleague directly before escalating to formal complaints.
Question 4: Which principle best describes the obligation to act in the client's best interest in neuropsychological practice?
- Fidelity
- Nonmaleficence
- Beneficence (Correct answer)
- Justice
Correct answer: Beneficence
Beneficence refers to the duty to promote the well-being and best interests of clients.
Question 5: A neuropsychologist is contacted by a patient's employer requesting cognitive test results. Without patient consent, the neuropsychologist should:
- Provide results since the employer is paying for the evaluation
- Provide a summary without raw scores
- Decline to release any information (Correct answer)
- Release results if the request is in writing
Correct answer: Decline to release any information
Releasing confidential information without patient consent violates HIPAA and APA ethics standards regardless of who pays for the evaluation.
Question 6: The ABCN requires candidates to demonstrate competence in neuropsychological assessment. Which of the following best reflects the competency standard?
- Completing a one-year internship in any psychological setting
- Demonstrating supervised experience specifically in clinical neuropsychology (Correct answer)
- Passing the EPPP regardless of specialty training
- Completing any APA-accredited doctoral program
Correct answer: Demonstrating supervised experience specifically in clinical neuropsychology
ABCN board certification requires demonstrated competence through supervised specialty training in clinical neuropsychology.
Question 7: A neuropsychologist is evaluating a client for a workers' compensation claim. The client asks to know the test results. The neuropsychologist should:
- Refuse, as the referral source owns the data
- Provide results only if the referral source approves
- Provide results directly to the client as is their right (Correct answer)
- Delay release until the case is settled
Correct answer: Provide results directly to the client as is their right
Clients generally have the right to access their own test results, even in forensic contexts, absent specific legal restrictions.
ABCN Professional Ethics and Standards 2
A neuropsychologist is asked to serve as an expert witness in a case involving a former patient.
What is the primary ethical concern?