Humanities and Social Sciences

Special Issue

Ethical Sensitivity: A Multidisciplinary Approach

  • Submission Deadline: Jan. 30, 2016
  • Status: Submission Closed
  • Lead Guest Editor: Alida Naudé
About This Special Issue
Greater clinical autonomy and higher professional status of the therapeutic sciences over the past two decades, has highlighted the need for a theoretical framework in the initial stage of the decision-making process to facilitate the process of critical analysis of ethical situations (Wittmer, 2005). A framework is important in an age of accountability and professional responsibility where therapists can no longer simply rely on intuition to guide their actions. Ethical sensitivity skills are important for all facets of the therapeutic process and are in line with the principles of ethics applied to the therapeutic sciences, namely beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, justice, truth telling and promise keeping. The skills within ethical sensitivity facilitate three main functions that include basic cognitive processes that can be taught: i). acquiring information about the ethical situation, which includes processes of perception and inference such as reading and expressing emotions, as well as perspective taking; ii) organising information, which includes processes of critical thinking and reflection such as caring by connecting to others, and working with interpersonal and group differences by controlling social bias; iii) using or interpreting information and includes processes of divergent thinking and prediction through generating interpretations and options with special consideration for the consequences. The ‘information’ can represent an observed incident, perceived relationships, currently experienced emotions, background knowledge of events and relationships retrieved from memory, and present attitudes retrieved from memory (Clarkeburn, 2002; Johnson, 2007; Nichols, 2011). These three functions evolve into deeper, emotional skills as the therapist observes role modelling and gains personal reflective experiences.

Aims and Scope:

1. To present recent research on different aspects of ethical sensitivity to stimulate further discussions and research in the therapeutic sciences.
2. Theoretical framework for ethics with specific reference to ethical sensitivity
3. Current relevance of empathy and cultural sensitivity in the client-therapist relationship
4. Systematic review providing insight into the field of ethics in occupational therapy to supplement other already published reviews for other professions in the therapeutic sciences.
Lead Guest Editor
  • Alida Naudé

    Faculty of Humanities, Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

Guest Editors
  • Erna Alant

    Department of Curriculum & Instruction, Indiana University, Bloomington, United States

  • Rose Sevcik

    Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, United States

  • Brenda Louw

    Department of Audiology and SLP, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, United States

  • Diane Nelson Bryen

    Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, University of Pretoria, Moorestown, United States

  • Kobie Boshoff

    School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia

  • Benda Hofmeyr

    Department of Philosophy, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

  • Juan Bornman

    Faculty of Humanities, Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

Published Articles
  • Ethics, Dementia and Severe Communication Problems

    Erna Alant

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 2-1, April 2016
    Pages: 37-40
    Received: Oct. 29, 2015
    Accepted: Jan. 03, 2016
    Published: May 13, 2016
    DOI: 10.11648/j.hss.s.2016040201.16
    Downloads:
    Views:
    Abstract: Emmanuel Levinas [1] argued that ethics cannot be regarded as a set of principles, rules or norms, but rather that the fundamental basis of ethics is communication and negotiated decision-making. This article explores the conditions necessary for ethical behavior to occur, as explored by Murray [2], by focusing on two relevant issues: firstly the a... Show More
  • Teaching Scientific and Professional Ethics: A Model of Graduate Student Training from Psychology

    Rose A. Sevcik , Julia Perilla

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 2-1, April 2016
    Pages: 25-28
    Received: Nov. 01, 2015
    Accepted: Feb. 02, 2016
    Published: May 13, 2016
    DOI: 10.11648/j.hss.s.2016040201.14
    Downloads:
    Views:
    Abstract: As individuals engage in research and/or clinical practice, reference to, and guidance from, their professional codes of ethics permeates their work. There has been a rise in the number of web sites, workshops, and publications about ethical training and behavior. Increasingly, courses have been developed for students at the graduate level along wi... Show More
  • Cultural Competence and Ethical Decision Making for Health Care Professionals

    Brenda Louw

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 2-1, April 2016
    Pages: 41-52
    Received: Nov. 30, 2015
    Accepted: Jan. 15, 2016
    Published: May 13, 2016
    DOI: 10.11648/j.hss.s.2016040201.17
    Downloads:
    Views:
    Abstract: Cultural competence and ethical decision making are two separate, yet intrinsically related concepts which are central to services rendered by all health care professionals. Cultural competence is based on ethical principles and informs ethical decision making. In spite of this important connection, the interrelationship of these two concepts does ... Show More
  • The Enigma of Ethical Responsiveness: A Philosophical Perspective

    Augusta Benda Hofmeyr

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 2-1, April 2016
    Pages: 5-12
    Received: Nov. 30, 2015
    Accepted: Jan. 15, 2016
    Published: May 13, 2016
    DOI: 10.11648/j.hss.s.2016040201.12
    Downloads:
    Views:
    Abstract: This essay considers the enigma of ethical responsiveness from a Levinasian point of view. According to Levinas, the self is ontologically driven to persist in self-interest and therefore “naturally” inclined to consider other persons and all other forms of alterity as means to sustain itself in existence. How, then, is ethical action – which place... Show More
  • A Measuring Instrument for Ethical Sensitivity in the Therapeutic Sciences

    Alida Naudé , Juan Bornman

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 2-1, April 2016
    Pages: 29-36
    Received: Dec. 21, 2015
    Accepted: Dec. 23, 2015
    Published: May 13, 2016
    DOI: 10.11648/j.hss.s.2016040201.15
    Downloads:
    Views:
    Abstract: An emerging literature in behavioural ethics conceptualized ethical sensitivity as a critical part of the decision making process. Ethical sensitivity together with an understanding of the client, their needs, emotions and circumstances is fundamental to an effective therapeutic relationship and competent practice. This study appears to be the firs... Show More
  • Ethics Education in Allied Health: A Systematic Review of Learning Outcomes for Entry-Level Students

    Louise K. Wiles , Carolyn M. Murray , Amy Baker , Angela Berndt , Kobie Boshoff

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 2-1, April 2016
    Pages: 13-24
    Received: Dec. 21, 2015
    Accepted: Dec. 23, 2015
    Published: May 13, 2016
    DOI: 10.11648/j.hss.s.2016040201.13
    Downloads:
    Views:
    Abstract: The complexities of modern healthcare pose a range of ethical issues for health professionals. In preparing student health professionals for these complexities, entry-level education must go beyond exposure to ethical theory, codes and standards. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the student learning outcomes reported in peer-revie... Show More
  • Ethical Issues in Conducting Research Involving Persons with Disability: A View from the Past and Some New Challenges

    Diane Nelson Bryen

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 2-1, April 2016
    Pages: 53-59
    Received: Jan. 25, 2016
    Accepted: Feb. 10, 2016
    Published: May 13, 2016
    DOI: 10.11648/j.hss.s.2016040201.18
    Downloads:
    Views:
    Abstract: This paper traces the history of conducting research involving people with disabilities and raises serious questions about the ethics of conducting research. Ethical concerns include treatment of vulnerable populations, lack of informed consent, and benefit versus undue hardship when using people with disabilities as research participants. New tech... Show More
  • Editorial: Ethical Sensitivity – a Multidisciplinary Approach

    Alida Naudé , Juan Bornman

    Issue: Volume 4, Issue 2-1, April 2016
    Pages: 1-4
    Received: Jan. 28, 2016
    Accepted: Mar. 21, 2016
    Published: May 13, 2016
    DOI: 10.11648/j.hss.s.2016040201.11
    Downloads:
    Views:
    Abstract: The editorial provides an overview of this special edition. The leading guest editors aim to guide the reader through the various topics addressed in this collection of article papers related to ethics as presented by the individual authors. Topics are placed within the context of current available literature related to the philosophy of ethics, et... Show More