Which item is least likely to be part of a professional code of ethics?

• A. Legal responsibility
• B. Duty to the public
• C. Personal preferences
• D. Integrity

Answer: (C)

Professional codes of ethics guide behavior to serve the public and uphold trust in the profession. They center on obligations like legal responsibility, serving the public, and maintaining integrity—standards that ensure fairness, honesty, and accountability in every action. Personal preferences, by contrast, are subjective tastes that vary from person to person. If a code were built around personal likes or dislikes, decisions could become biased and inconsistent, undermining impartiality and the professional duty to treat all individuals and cases fairly. Because the other elements reflect formal duties and standards integral to ethical practice, while personal preferences do not belong in a professional ethics framework, they are the least likely to be included.