Decision making and ethical reasoning in psychology

Abstract

Background. Rationality, emotions, and intuition all seem to underlie the deci-sion-making process. In a profession such as psychology, it is crucial to improve the rational dimension of decision making. Ethical reasoning can be compared to moral decision-making, but it is also linked to professional judgment. In psychology and other professions, ethical reasoning seems to be the basis for the development of professional skills. Objective. Present and discuss the role that rationality, emotions, and intuition can play in people's decision making, especially in the field of psychological intervention. Design. A theoretical perspective is presented which takes into account the rel-evant literature in the field. Results. We support the idea of five fundamental preconditions for ethical rea-soning: self-knowledge, excellent training, experience or supervision, humility, and intervision. We recommend that psychologists meet these conditions in their professional decision making in order to promote the best quality of professional practice. Conclusion. We can say that ethical reasoning is a professional moral decision. As professionals, we are primarily intuitive in our decision making, which is why we make decisions almost automatically; but our decisions are based on our pro-fessional experience. Psychologists should reflect on and understand the processes involved in decision making in order to avoid conclusions based on their personal experiences.