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Ethical Issues in Military Psychology

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Handbook of Military Psychology

Abstract

The profession of psychology and the profession of arms have been integrally intertwined for more than a century. Both clinical and research psychologists share a long and distinguished history of service to the nation in support of military personnel and military leaders. Certain elements of the practice of psychology in military settings create unique and sometimes intense ethical tensions and conflicts for psychologists. These are often particularly acute for psychologists serving as active duty military officers. This chapter describes the aspects of military psychology practice that heighten ethical tensions and quandaries for psychologists. The authors summarize seven specific ethical quandaries that occur with the greatest frequency or create the most acute conflicts for military psychologists. Illustrative vignettes are employed to bring these issues to life. The authors conclude with a set of recommendations designed to help psychologists ameliorate and manage common ethical tensions.

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Correspondence to W. Brad Johnson .

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Johnson, W.B., Landsinger, K.L. (2017). Ethical Issues in Military Psychology. In: Bowles, S., Bartone, P. (eds) Handbook of Military Psychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66192-6_8

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