Ethics dilemmas in forensic psychology: A comparison of practitioner choices in rural and urban setting

The study compared how rural and urban psychologists resolved ten ethical dilemma vignettes related to the provision of forensic psychology services. Six of the ten vignettes depicted dual relationship dilemmas and the remaining four vignettes depicted other types of ethical dilemmas potentially experienced when providing forensic services. Statistical comparisons were conducted on the questionnaire data of 70 urban psychologists and 34 rural psychologists. Data analyses revealed significant differences between urban and rural psychologists in how they resolved the six forensic psychology vignettes that depicted dual relationship dilemmas. The rural participants were more apt than their urban cohorts to conclude that justifications existed that would allow them to accept forensic psychology cases complicated by dual relationship elements. In contrast, on the four vignettes that depicted non-dual relationship dilemmas involving forensic psychology work, the urban and rural psychologists in the study did not differ significantly. What these results suggest in regard to the provision of forensic psychology services and the application of ethical guidelines in rural versus urban areas are discussed. While the study's generalizability is limited, various recommendations are forwarded for consideration.