6. Ethical Issues

Question 1

What are ethical issues ?

Answer 1

When a conflict exists between the rights of participants and the goals of the research study to produce authentic, valid data

Question 2

What is the BPS code of ethics ?

Answer 2

A quasi legal document produced by the British psychological society that instructs psychologists in the UK about what behaviour is and isn’t acceptable when dealing with participants

Question 3

What are the four major principles of the BPS code of ethics ?

Answer 3

Respect
Competence
Responsibility
Integrity

Question 4

What are the four major ethical issues ?

Answer 4

Informed consent
Deception
Protection from harm
Privacy and confidentiality

Question 5

What is informed consent ?

Answer 5

Making participants aware of the aims of the research, the procedures, their rights and what their data will be used for. They should then make an informed decision without being coerced or feeling obliged

Question 6

Why is asking for informed consent a problem for researchers ?

Answer 6

May make the study meaningless because participants will show demand characteristics as they know the aims of the study so their behaviour won’t be natural

Question 7

What is deception ?

Answer 7

Deception means deliberately misleading or withholding information form participants at any stage of the investigation

Question 8

What other ethical issue is faced when a participant has been deceived?

Answer 8

They cannot be said to have given informed consent

Question 9

When can deception be justified ?

Answer 9

It can be justified if it does not cause the participant undue distress

Question 10

What is protection form harm ?

Answer 10

As a result of a participants involvement in the study, they should not be placed at any more risk in their daily lives and should be protected from physical and psychological harm

Question 11

What is included in the term psychological harm ?

Answer 11

Being made to feel embarrassed, inadequate or being placed under undue stress or pressure

Question 12

What is an important feature of protection form harm ?

Answer 12

Participants being reminded that they have the right to withdraw from the investigation at any point

Question 13

What is privacy ?

Answer 13

Participants have the right to control information about themselves

Question 14

What is confidentiality ?

Answer 14

Refers to our right, enshrined in laws under the data protection act, to have any personal data protected

Question 15

Where does the right to privacy extend to ?

Answer 15

The area where the study took place so that institutions or geographical locations are unnamed

Question 16

What is the purpose of the BPS ?

Answer 16

To protect research participants, the reputation of psychology and psychologists themselves

Question 17

How do you deal with informed consent ?

Answer 17

Participants should be given a consent letter or form detailing all relevant information that might affect their decision to participate

Question 18

How do you get consent if a participant is under the age of 16 ?

Answer 18

A signature of parental consent is required

Question 19

What are the alternatives way of getting consent ?

Answer 19

Presumptive consent
Prior general consent
Retrospective consent

Question 20

What is presumptive consent ?

Answer 20

Asking a similar group of people form the target population if the study is acceptable, if they agree, then consent of the original participants is presumed

Question 21

What is prior general consent ?

Answer 21

Participants give their permission to take part in a number of different studies - including one that will involve deception. By consenting, participants are essentially consenting to be deceived

Question 22

What is retrospective consent ?

Answer 22

Participants are asked for their consent during debriefing having already taken part in the study

Question 23

How do you deal with deception and protection from harm ?

Answer 23

Participants should be given a full debrief

Question 24

What is involved in a full debrief ?

Answer 24

Participants should be made aware of the true aims of the investigation and any details they were not supplied with during the study e.g other groups or conditions. They should be told what their data will be used for and be give the right to withdraw and finally you should reassure them that their behaviour was normal and in extreme cases provide counselling

Question 25

How to deal with confidentiality ?

Answer 25

• If personal details are held, this must be protected
• maintain anonymity
• during briefing and debriefing, participants are reminded that their data will be protected throughout the process

Question 26

What is the cost benefit approach ?

Answer 26

Ethics committee with up the costs and benefits of research proposals to decide whether the research should go ahead

Question 27

What are possible benefits of a study ?

Answer 27

Value of research

Ground breaking nature of research

Question 28

What are possible costs of a study ?

Answer 28

Damaging effect on participants or the reputation of psychology as a whole

Question 29

What is the role of the ethics committee?

Answer 29

Yo make judgements about the costs and benefits involved in carrying out individual pieces of research

Question 30

What is debriefing ?

Answer 30

This procedure is conducted after the experiment or study has been concluded. Debriefing involves a structured or semi-structured verbal conversation between the researcher and the subjects whereby an array of topics are addressed and discussed, and the subjects are given an opportunity to ask questions

Question 31

What is the aim of debriefing ?

Answer 31

The aim of the debriefing is not just to provide information, but to help the participant leave the experimental situation in a similar frame of mind as when he/she entered it