M.A. (Counselling Psychology) / The Psychological Association of South Africa (PASA) is, at present, in a transition phase in that the profession is striving to unite under one single controlling body. As a consequence, the Association is seeking to establish a set of inclusive, scientific, academic and ethical standards that will be recognised by all psychologists. with this purpose in mind, the Association is currently revising its ethical code. Since the Association commits itself to both the prevention and treatment of AIDS, part of its agenda is to include the handling of the disease in this code. The purpose of this study is to make a contribution to the revision of the ethical code by exploring the ethics surrounding the handling of the AIDS-dilemma by psychologists, and to make recommendations in this regard. AIDS should therefore be handled responsibly in the ethical code in such a way that it is acceptable to all practicing psychologists in South Africa. The nature of the study is a qualitative exploratory analytical study that relies on rational cognitive processes. Literature concerning ethics in psychology was explored together with the way in which it is translated in the ethical code. Ethical dilemmas that result from the handling of the AIDS-phenomenon are identified and grouped together by describing both real and hypothetical ethical problems. A critical rational analysis of the ethical code then follows. Finally, logically argued proposals are made in order that identified shortcomings be eliminated.

Single subject research procedures were used to evaluate the following effects of Mellaril, a neuroleptic, on adaptive and disruptive behaviors of three institutionalized retarded people: (1) documentation of social interactions, activity level, vocational performance, repetitive motoric behavior, disruptive incidents, and possible tardive dyskinesia to determine which behaviors changed during drug and placebo conditions, and (2) individualized clinical evaluation to determine whether drug therapy decreased disruptive behavior and increased or interfered with adaptive functioning. Each subject received individualized Mellaril dosages and served as his/her own control in reversal designs. All subjects were abruptly withdrawn from the drug. One subject (125 mg.) underwent B-A-B while two subjects (60 mg., 250 mg.) underwent B-A-B-A phases, where B indicated the drug condition and A indicated the placebo condition. Each phase lasted approximately one month. A fourth subject underwent B-A phases and was dropped from the study due to an epileptic convulsion. Pharmacotherapy for this disorder confounded Mellaril-behavior relationships. A trained observer recorded occurrence of behavior on weekdays within the institution including 15 minutes per subject in residential settings and five minutes per subject in vocational settings. Institutional staff documented daily frequencies of incidents including aggression and property destruction. Institutional staff, the trained observer, and the subjects were not told the timing of drug/placebo changes. The results indicated that the following behaviors increased following drug withdrawal: vocational performance, talking, looking at and proximity to others, and talking/laughing to self. Activity level decreased upon drug withdrawal. The following patterns of disruptive behavior were subject-unique: one subject (250 mg.) clearly showed the most incidents while on-drug; one subject (60 mg.) did not show changes during the first drug withdrawal, but showed increases during the second; and the third subject (125 mg.) engaged in incidents at steadily increasing rates during all conditions. The applicability of single subject designs to applied behavioral pharmacology is discussed. Variables within an applied setting which potentially obfuscate drug-behavior relationships are identified. Suggestions for future research are offered.