This topic hits close to home for me because I am a former member of the American Psychological Association. My bachelors degree is in Psychology, and I studied this discipline to help people. I adopted the ethical model that motivates all medical and social sciences, from doctors and nurses to psychologists and social workers: DO NO HARM. In in debate on torture during the Bush administration, I was shocked to hear of the contribution of a number of psychologists and the overall contribution of the APA.
In short psychologists assisted in the "advanced interrogation techniques" used at Guantanamo Bay and military prisons in Iraq. There is growing evidence that psychologists were not only taking part in procedures that have shocked the senses of humanity around the world, but were in fact in charge of designing those brutal tactics and training interrogators in those techniques. Even worse, while American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the National Association of Social Workers specifically banned involvement in military and CIA interrogation, the APA permitted and supported psychologists involved in torture for the sake of "national security."
To their credit, many in the APA protested and some withdrew their membership altogether. This revolt caused the group to vote on resolutions outlawing their participation in certain techniques such as waterboarding, but left far too many loopholes. In addition, the membership failed to pass a ban from participation in detainee interrogations as other professional organizations have.
If this brings back images of horror films and holocausts involving psychological torture, it should. Psychologist have an ugly history of being on the wrong side of history and today is no exception.
Just makes me glad I ended up as a social worker.
