VIEWPOINT
The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts
BY JENNIFER M. GÓMEZ
Psychological
Pressure
Shedd Theatricals 2015
proudly presents Walter Donaldson & Gus Kahn’s
madcap 1928 musical comedy
DID THE APA COMMIT INSTITUTIONAL BETRAYAL?
T
hrough the Hoffman Report (apa.org/
independent-review/index.aspx),
it
has recently come to light that the
American Psychological Association
(APA) — the governing body of
psychology — in collusion with the Department of
Defense, used its power to support the use of torture.
These actions by the APA are clear examples
of institutional betrayal, defi ned by Carly Smith
and Jennifer Freyd of the University of Oregon as
actions or inactions taken by an organization that
harm individuals that trust or depend on the institution. The institutional betrayals in
this case are many and numerous, as detailed in the 565-page Hoffman report. The
individuals harmed are diverse: members of the APA, psychologists, students, people
who seek and/or need mental health care, people who are societally minoritized,
people who were tortured.
Through these actions, the APA has shown itself to be incapable of being
behaviorally committed to human rights and ethics as a result of incompetence,
malicious intent or both.
Additionally, the ability for the APA to show true leadership amidst constant
fi nancial, status and political pressures is in deep question. Concerns of right and
wrong appear not to have been entertained by those in the ultimate positions of
power in the organization. The APA appears to have been swayed — as the Hoffman
report indicates — to replace a discussion of ethics and human rights with a strategy
of PR and political favor, thus betraying all who trust or depend on APA and the
psychology profession in the U.S.
With these betrayals, the APA demonstrated an apparent limited mindset to the
context: a total absence of notice or consideration of the disproportionate harm
that persons of lower social status experience as a result of the U.S. Department of
Defense’s use of torture (as defi ned by international law per the Geneva Convention
and others). The APA appears not to have incorporated the U.S. dominant culture
of discrimination and bias against people who are not American and/or who are
Muslim and/or who are mistaken to be Middle Eastern or Afghan: people who had
yet to be found guilty of any crime and some of whom are undoubtedly innocent of
any wrongdoing.
These individuals were further vulnerable because they were outside of the, albeit
imperfect, protections of the U.S. criminal justice system. Thus, APA contributed to
fostering justifi ed mistrust that some of these and other cultural minorities have of
U.S. systems, governmental and otherwise.
The APA squandered the opportunity to demonstrate leadership in human rights,
ethics, morality, integrity and equality. It ignored the chance to protect those who
were not in a position to protect themselves and chose instead to protect itself and
its members (in the short term), of whom the average demographic is white, middle-
aged and educated.
Several members of the APA directly implicated by the Hoffman report have
left the organization. Perhaps additional exits will follow. As the APA attempts to
both publicly and internally deal with the damning evidence of supporting torture
— along with subsequent denials and ad hominem attacks against whistleblowers —
the question remains: How can the APA right these wrongs?
Freyd, Smith, myself and others have proposed institutional reparations, such as
apologizing and correcting fi xable problems with transparency. The APA has begun to
take such steps. Perhaps to be added to these institutional reparations is demonstrating
an understanding of the scope of the problem. This includes 1) identifying and
correcting the organization’s priorities — and culture — that contributed to the years-
long institutional betrayals and 2) identifying other places where these factors are
contributing or could contribute to additional harm by the organization.
Amidst feelings of shock, betrayal, anger and hurt following the revelations
that the APA was complicit in torture, each of us can examine our own roles in the
organizations in which we are members. We can take this opportunity to prepare
ourselves to choose — when internal and external pressures dominate our thoughts
— to have the courage to do the right thing.
Con
Air
on
d it i
ed!
L as
t w
ee
ken
Fri-Sun, Aug 7, 8 & 9
d!
868 High Street, Eugene, OR Tickets $20-$36 (discounts available)
541.434.7000 theshedd.org/Whoopee
The Mildred Baker
Fund for the Arts
sub-fund of the Western Oregon Arts Foundation
at the Oregon Community Foundation
Whoopee! Is presented by arrangement with, and the music and dialogue furnished by Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc,
560 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022.
Oregon Festival Of
American Music 2015
FINE AND
DANDY
In The Age Of Jazz
1921-34
August 7-16
541.434.7000
theshedd.org
The Shedd Institute
Eugene, ORegon
Jennifer M. Gómez is a doctoral candidate in the UO Department of Psychology and coeditor of the Journal of
Trauma & Dissociation special issue, Self Injury & Suicidality: The Impact of Trauma & Dissociation.
EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • A UGUST 6, 2015
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