Teaching psychologists and the new APA ethics code: do we fit in?

The new American Psychological Association (APA) ethics code (APA, 1992) creates dilemmas of both image and substance for teaching psychologists. Items specific to teaching psychologists reflect housekeeping matters of lesser importance and situations over which teaching psychologists have little control. Teachers of psychology are sometimes inappropriately grouped with other types of psychologists. Freedom of inquiry and communication are curtailed in ambiguous ways, and the standards expected of teachers in the academy are set a mediocre level. Although the new code contains some improvements over the previous code (APA, 1990)--especially in the areas of multiple relationships, prohibitions against sex with students, respect for differences among students, and authorship rights retained by students--numerous recommendations for future revision are strongly recommended.