1.6 Ethics in Psychological Research

Question 1

Why are ethics important?

Answer 1

An integral part of psychological research as its experiments on living beings

Question 2

How are activities/studies of psychology regulated?

Answer 2

by a code of ethics / ethics comitee

Question 3

What are 6 ethical consideration when conducting a study?

Answer 3

• informed consent
• protection from harm
• anonymity and confidentiality
• withdrawal from participation
• deception
• debriefing

Question 4

How is informed consent adhered to?

Answer 4

Participation in a study must be voluntary

Participants must fully understand the nature of their involvement i.e aims of study, tasks, how data will be used

Researchers should provide as much info as possible in the clearest way

If participant is a minor, consent obtained from parents or legal guardians

Question 5

How is protection from harm adhered to?

Answer 5

Participants should be protected from physical and mental harm

Look at potential long term consequences

For example researchers establishing a good rapport and being empathetic about sensitive topics

Question 6

how is confidentiality adhered to?

Answer 6

data of participant and what has been shared to remain only with researcher

Question 7

What does it mean if research is confidential?

Answer 7

Research is confidential is researcher can link data to participant but cannot share it

Question 8

How is anonymity adhered to?

Answer 8

refers to way data is stored after research i.e transcripts are made instead of keeping videos

Question 9

What does mean if research is anonymous?

Answer 9

Participation is anonymous if no one can trace results back to a person

Question 10

how can withdrawal from participation be adhered to?

Answer 10

Research is voluntary and participants are free to withdraw at any time

Researchers must not convince participants to stay or prevent them from withdrawing

Question 11

When is withdrawal of participation needed?

Answer 11

Both applicable for conducting the study and moment after data collection (e.g want to withdraw data)

Question 12

When may deception be used?

Answer 12

True aims of study cannot be revealed to participants because it would change their behaviour

In some research methods deception is part of the process i.e covert

Question 13

What other ethical issue is deception linked to?

Answer 13

Linked with informed consent - consent cannot be fully informed

Question 14

How can debriefing be adhered to?

Answer 14

After study participants must be fully informed of its nature, its true aims and how data will be stored and used

Must be given a chance to review data and withdraw certain data if they want to

If deception was used, it must be revealed

Question 15

What is cost-benefit analysis?

Answer 15

Evaluate whether cost of harm done to participants is worth the benefit of the research

Question 16

When can we loosen ethical standards?

Answer 16

1. If the study can potentially reveal scientific info that will benefit a lot of people
2. If there is no way the study of a phenomenon can be conducted without relaxing an ethical standard

Question 17

What needs to be submitted for approval of a study?

Answer 17

Research proposals with a full description of the aims, procedures and anticipated results are submitted for approval

Question 18

What 8 ethical considerations are there in reporting results?

Answer 18

1. data fabrication
2. plagiarism
3. publication credit
4. sharing research data for verification
5. handling of sensitive personal information
6. handling of information obtained in genetic research
7. handling of information related to mental disorders
8. social implications of reporting scientific results

Question 19

What is data fabrication?

Answer 19

If mistake found should be promptly corrected

Question 20

How is publication credit adhered to?

Answer 20

Authorship on a publication should accurately reflect relative contributions of the authors

Give credit according to amount of work and not status

Question 21

How is sharing research data for verification adhered to?

Answer 21

Researchers should not withhold data used to derive conclusions presented in the publication

Question 22

Should researchers share raw data to independent researchers?

Answer 22

YES
Any request to share raw data to independent researcher should be met, however both parties should use data ethically and responsibly e.g making shared data set anonymous
Data should be accessible

Question 23

What does handling of sensitive personal information relate to?

Answer 23

refers to how the results of the study are conveyed to individual participants

Question 24

Why is handling of information obtained in genetic research?

Answer 24

Can sometimes lead to revealing private information about other members of the person’s family e.g misattributed parentage or health status
Info may be disclosed accidentally in interviews or inferred

Question 25

How should the handling of information obtained in genetic research be adhered to?

Answer 25

If revelation is thought to have serious effects on participant, they should be provided with psychological help

Question 26

How is handling of information related to mental disorders relevant?

Answer 26

Some studies may reveal the presence of an illness that was previously unknown to a participant
May also report that some members are more likely to develop an illness

Question 27

How are social implications of reporting scientific results relevant?

Answer 27

Researchers must consider potential effects of the way research conclusions are formulated and the effect they may have on the scientific community and society in general

Can never be sure of the results of only one study, could’ve been many factors affecting results

Not everyone knows how to read scientific papers e.g correlations and causation / understand conclusions of research

Different groups of interest exist and could use data in different ways