JOINING SCIENCE AND APPLICATION - ETHICAL CHALLENGES FOR RESEARCHERS AND PRACTITIONERS

The Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (American Psychological Association [APA], 1992) stresses the importance of a sc ientific base for professional practice and implementation of research procedures that protect participant welfare. This article examines th ree ethical concerns flowing from the science-practice relationship: ( a) Does current research provide a scientific base for psychological i nterventions? (b) Do psychologists have an empirical foundation for ad dressing the needs of diverse populations? (c) Is the welfare of psych ologically vulnerable research participants protected? A survey of 323 articles published in APA journals during 1991 indicates the need to increase the scientific evaluation of psychological treatments, the do cumentation of client and practitioner characteristics as they relate to service delivery, and the enlistment of practitioners in referral p rocedures for research participants in need of psychological treatment .