Page 653 - Poštuvan Vita, Cerce Mojca. Ur. 2023. Psiholog v dilemi: eticne vsebine in eticna zavest v praksi. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem.

abstracts

Ethics and Ethical Awareness of Psychologists: Concerns
and Activities of the Committee for Ethical Issues
in the Society of Psychologists of Slovenia
Abstract
The Commission for Ethical Issues (KEV) within the Slovene
Psychologists Association is the board responsible for ethics. It
updates the code of ethics for psychologists, follows innovations
in the field of ethics and oversees its implementation in Slovenia,
educates and provides support to individuals with ethical
dilemmas, and gives opinions in individual cases regarding the
ethical behaviour of psychologists in practice. Over the past
decades, KEV has been actively carrying out activities to increase
ethical awareness: these have been in the form of trainings,
workshops, materials, professional meetings and similar.
Keywords: ethical awareness, Slovene Psychologists Association,
activities

The Biological Basis of Morality

Abstract
Throughout the process of evolution, the constant exposure to
environmental challenges has shaped behavioural patterns that
promoted group work, cooperation and care for one another.
Accordingly, the progress in compassion capacity and empathic
concern can be observed during our ontogenetic development,
from conception to death. We now know that important roles
in modulation of human morality are played by the nervous
system, hormones and epigenetic mechanisms, which include
inherited genetic codes that are diversely expressed in specific
life circumstances. The neurobiology of empathy is currently the
most studied area and research demonstrates a complex crosstalk
between lower and higher brain structures, the autonomic
nervous system and, most probably, the gut-brain axis. It is
important to note that education, culture and social attitudes
can broaden or limit the space for the expression of altruistically
directed biological systems and even show impact at the cell level,
thereby critically modifying our moral frame. The plasticity and
flexibility of an organism, including its intelligence and ability to
collaborate, represent strong skills for survival and reproductive

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