[The evolution of ethical standards in the practice of psychology: a reflection on the APA Code of Ethics]

After briefly describing the need for ethics in the development of professional regulation and analyzing the historical emergence of codes of ethics, the goal of this paper is to scrutinize the process by which the American Psychological Association developed its own Code of Ethics and proceeded to revise it periodically. Different lessons can be derived from these efforts and from the criticisms that were formulated. The need for international standards in professional and research ethics is then considered, and the results of a recent study on this subject are presented. Five major conclusions can be derived from the preceding analysis: (1) Codes of ethics can help professional recognition by stressing the importance given to the protection of the public, (2) the development of a code of ethics is usually related to the advancement of professional practice, (3) ethical standards should be in tune with the cultural values and the belief system of a given community, (4) a well-balanced code should incorporate both general aspirational principles and enforceable standards, and (5) the method used to define principles and standards should be empirically based.