The Effect of Number and Type of Consulted Relationships on the Ethical Decision Making of Graduate Students in Counseling

Abstract

The effect of number and type of consulted relationships on ethical decision making was assessed. Six versions of a 7-point Likert-type instrument were used. The instrument, The Decision-Making Questionnaire, measured a change in decision from a neutral condition to reassessment of thedecision under one ofsix conditions, measuring different relationship effects by number and typeof consulted relationships. Scores changed significantly and linearly according to the number of consulted relationships. Additionally, a two-way interaction between number (2 or 3) and type of consulted relationships (individual or conjoint) was found.

Ethical Decision‐Making Models: A Review of the Literature

“…Two empirical studies in the published literature had direct theoretical linkage. Cottone, Tarvydas, and House (1994) derived hypotheses about how counseling graduate students make decisions based on social systems theory. According to social systems theory, they posited that "all thinking and decision making would be highly socially and relationally influenced, and both number and types of relationships would potentially influence how individuals act and think" (p. 57).…”

A Social Constructivism Model of Ethical Decision Making in Counseling

“…Betan (1997) proposed a "hermeneutic" approach, meaning that there is an interaction of ethical principles and the subjectivity of human relations. Cottone, Tarvydas, and House (1994) addressed the social (or systemic) influences on counselor ethical decision making in a preliminary empirical study assessing the influence of number and types of relationships on counseling student decisions. Aside from these works, there was an absence of works focusing primarily on social aspects of decision making in counseling.…”

Ethics management for the construction industry

“…Many researchers (e.g. Sutherland and Cressy, 1970;Cottone et al, 1994;Claus, 2000) support Brass et al's (1998) network relation theory. Jones (1991) challenges the previous models (Rest, 1984;Ferrell and Gresham, 1985;Trevino, 1986;Stead et al, 1990) that contribute to the understanding of the ethics decision-making of employees, but none does more than hint that the characteristics of the moral issue itself can affect the decision-making process of employees.…”