0.1. Ethical Issues

Question 1

What is the BPS?

Answer 1

The British Psychological society

Question 2

What did the BPS do?

Answer 2

They developed the code of ethics

Question 3

The code of ethics

Answer 3

• to protect the welfare of ppts
• to be a framework to follow
• to promote professional standards
• to guide decisions about professional practice

Question 4

What does the ethics committee do?

Answer 4

Reviews all research proposed to ensure it’s ethical before the research is conducted

Question 5

Cost-benefit meaning

Answer 5

The benefit (knowledge gained) must outweigh the costs (physical/psychological damage to ppts/ society)

Question 6

Informed consent description

Answer 6

Ppts must be told what they will be doing and why they’re doing it so they can provide “informed consent”

Question 7

Informed consent ‘how to deal with it’

Answer 7

1. Ppts give agreement to participate
2. Researchers can offer right to withdraw
3. Can get presumptive consent instead- asking people whether they think a study is acceptable

Question 8

Informed consent limitations

Answer 8

• ppts may not 100% know what they’ve let themselves in for
• presumptive consent- people thinking and experiencing is very different

Question 9

Deception description

Answer 9

• ppts should not be deceived unless absolutely necessary
• if deception is required, great care and consideration must be given to experiment
• ppts to be told at the end of the debrief

Question 10

How to deal with deception

Answer 10

• if deception is used, the ethics committee has to approve it and weigh up the cost-benefit
• ppts should be fully debriefed

Question 11

Deception limitations

Answer 11

• cost-benefit decisions are flawed as they involve subjective judgements
• costs are not always apparent
• debriefing doesn’t change the results

Question 12

Right to withdraw description

Answer 12

• ppts should be free to leave the experiment at any time, or withdraw data up to 4 weeks after the experiment

Question 13

How to deal with right to withdraw

Answer 13

• all ppts should be informed before the study that they have the right to withdraw

Question 14

Right to withdraw limitations

Answer 14

• ppts may feel they cannot withdraw

Question 15

Protection from harm description

Answer 15

• the safety and wellbeing of the ppt must be protected at all times, both physically and psychologically

Question 16

How to deal with protection from harm

Answer 16

• avoid risks greater than everyday life

Question 17

Protection from harm limitations

Answer 17

• researchers are’t always able to predict the risks

Question 18

Confidentiality description

Answer 18

• any information and data provided by the ppt must be kept confidential

Question 19

How to deal with confidentiality

Answer 19

Numbers/ false names should replace ppt names

Question 20

Confidentiality limitations

Answer 20

• sometimes it’s quite clear who ppts are
  E.g. research conducted at a school

Question 21

Privacy description

Answer 21

• don’t invade the body or mind of ppts (questionnaires and interviews)

Question 22

How to deal with privacy

Answer 22

• Only observe in public places unless consent sought
• ppts could be asked to give retrospective consent

Question 23

Privacy limitations

Answer 23

• There is no universal agreement about what constitutes a public place
• not everyone thinks this is acceptable

Question 24

What is a consent form?

Answer 24

Given at the start to obtain permission

Question 25

What goes in a consent form?

Answer 25

• aim of study
• task/ task time
• risks
• confidentiality- reminder
• right to withdraw
• any questions
• a place to obtain consent

Question 26

When is a debrief form given?

Answer 26

At the end of research to ppts

Question 27

What goes into a debrief form?

Answer 27

• aim or purpose
• deception (if used state why)
• support needs to be offered (see Mrs Hobson in student support)
• confidentiality
• right to withdraw- data can be withdrawn up to 2 weeks after
• any questions?