Cheating, Ethics, and Graduate Training in Professional Psychology. Crime and Punishment or Misjudgment and Repair

When graduate students in professional psychology violate an honor system and cheat on a test, the faculty response must balance both ethical and humanitarian considerations. By following an actual incident from detection to disposition, a number of dilemmas are considered. Relevant principles from the American Psychological Association's ethical code for psychologists, the student-professor interactions, and a short-term follow-up further elucidate the complexity of the factors involved. The author's handling of the incidents stems from (a) a model of training (Ekstein & Wallerstein, 1972) emphasizing the importance of the supervisor-supervisee dyad for the learning of the student and (b) a model of interaction emphasizing responsibility and repair in the conduct of human relationships.