Jacqueline Ochoa

Psychology Senior Sem.

Final Refection Paper

The field of psychology has many components and areas of study, because of this there are

also a lot of controversies that center on this topic. Controversies can be seen in any field within

our world, however psychology deals with individuals and the mind, making it an even more

popular topic. These controversies related to psychology are easily seen, however often times it

is difficult to pick a side. When we encounter controversies it can be difficult to break apart and

analyze them, however they push us to think more deeply about different perspective within

certain topics and also help us to strengthen our positions, by looking at the weak spots in our

arguments, and the strengths. Controversies help us to also understand topics better, being able to

identify counter perspectives and the reasoning behind them. When we look at controversies,

some of the common themes and structures that we see is the presence of claims and counter

claims, pros and cons, scholarly research to back up arguments and to refute counter arguments.

Ethics is also a huge component of controversies. This concept helps us to look at parts of

controversies that arent always clear.

The American psychological association has a code of ethics that all psychologists are

required to follow. There are requirements, guidelines, and values that help these psychologists

make ethical decisions and act in ethical ways. These requirements include, but are not limited

to; acting with integrity and justice, respecting peoples rights and dignity, reporting ethical

violations. The code of ethics is essential, not only does it provide a set of standards for

psychologists to follow but they also help us make decisions and analyze information when
looking at topics that are more gray than black and white. Controversies within psychology

arent always so clear, sometimes there is no better side of an argument but we must make a

decision or pick a side. For example, if we talk about animal use for psychological testing we can

argue that, this helps us to find new knowledge and obtain new information about something

such as behavior, personality, or anything else a psychologist might want to study. However a

counter argument might be that it is unethical to use animals as subjects because they have no

voice and we have no way of determining whether or not we are causing significant amount of

harm to them by putting them through any given test. Issues such as these are hard to argue and

defend because of the tremendous amount of research that is out there, which supports both

sides. Ethics then, comes into play and this can help us to determine or pick a side, when

research is not enough to help us make a choice.

In my own personal experience, I learned that ethical decision making is not always as easy

as what is right and what is wrong. Controversies go beyond right and wrong, they are issues that

have points that we need to consider and analyze in depth in order to come to a conclusion.

When looking at controversial issues, I like to use ethics, the code of ethics, and research to learn

about a topic and to get a sense of where I stand in terms of the issue. However I also like to

reflect internally about what I believe, what perspective is more supported by my values and

morals. In some cases this is the last resort, and what you need to turn to in order to resolve and

issue or pick a side. Reflecting back on what you stand for and who you are as a person and as a

psychologist can help you decide on these issues.

In my experience, learning about controversial topics began in my criminal justice classes

through a class named Ethical Considerations. This approach is a bit different than the one in

taken in psychology, however it did open my eyes to the topic and to the consideration of ethics
and its importance for controversial issues. When looking at controversial topics I typically begin

by doing general research about the topic in order to obtain a good understanding of it. I focus on

sources that are scholarly and peer reviewed, accessed through the Loras library portal. For those

topics that involve controversies, I pick a side, either one I believe in the most, or one that I am

assigned to and I look at what is being said on that side of the topic. Through these readings I try

to identity main points and look for points that argue these as well as general knowledge that is

about the opposite side. While doing research, it is important to remember and be able to identify

any possible biases from the researchers doing a study. Due to this same issue, it is important to

look at multiple sources that can help you support any given point. If most research is pointing in

a certain direction, then you are able to gather that the information is not bias and that it is

reliable.

Throughout my experience at Loras I was able to engage in courses that also helped me to

develop ethical approaches to ethical thinking. Criminal justice classes such as Ethical

Consideration, Victimology, and others, have allowed me to look at similar ethical issues,

keeping in mind victims, offenders, and other stakeholders. Depending on the topic, one must

consider the different effects of the criminal justice system and the way in which decisions taken

by those in the system, such as judges, can influence the offenders life. For example, if a person

who is a drug addict is in the criminal justice system, and he has shown to be a chronic offender,

does one focus on sentencing or rehabilitation? There could be other possibilities in which there

could be a mix of both of these options, however these solutions cannot occur concurrently.

When we are placed in this kind of situation, what do we choose? This is where ethics and values

come into place. These kind of controversies require a lot of thought, in order to decide the best

option.
 As I mentioned before, thinking in this way, and seeing the world as gray, rather than black

and white is something essential. Loras teaches us to develop this form of thinking and acting

through education. Two Loras College dispositions that I feel connect to this topic are,

developing as an active thinker and making ethical decisions. Loras College describe active

thinkers as those who are curious about the world and want to learn. Active learners are those

who use curiosity in order to help them make sense of their experiences. As a psychology major I

have been able to carry out this disposition by being involved in classes and in various resources

offered throughout my time here. Attending events in which speakers talk about issues revolving

psychology and new research and interesting topics in the way in which I have been able to

become more involved in learning about psychology related topics outside of my class. This is

also applicable to my criminal justice degree. Talking to those who are in the field has allowed

me to get a better sense of what it is like for someone who is in the field. My ability to take on

other things such as research within the school, has also allowed me to further explore topics

which I am interested in such as behavior, neuroscience, personality, the criminal justice system

at a local level, criminal investigation and more. Through classes such as Physiological

Psychology, Learning and Cognition, Criminal Investigation, Juvenile and Delinquency, and

many others, I have been able to work on projects which allow me to further my knowledge on

these topics and many more. These experiences have allowed me to test and develop my

knowledge and apply it to the real world or at least to see the connection between what I learn

and the real world.

My education at Loras has also taught me to develop myself as an ethical decision maker.

Courses such as Ethical Considerations have pushed me to, once again, see things from various

perspectives. There are a variety of theories and models that can be applied to situations in order
to analyze ethics. In some cases we see that these theories can contradict each other and because

of this it is important to critically think about issues. For example, Utilitarianism y theory looks

at the consequences of an action and the outcomes. This theory places a strong emphasis on what

is the greatest good for the greatest number of people. However a Deontological approach to

ethics looks at rules that are in place and ones duty to follow these rules and norms. These two

are a clear example that shows that ethical decisions are not always so black and white. Because

ethics can be taken in various way it is important to always think about extra factors such as the

dignity of others and respect. Because the topic of ethics is so complex, our values may play a

role in how we act. Remembering to be a leader and to respect others plays a huge role. At Loras,

our Christian values also play a role, this aspect helps us to remember that we are a community

and that we must all remember that supporting one another and treat each other with love and

respect and through this we will be guided to make decisions that are ethical.