6. Ethical Issues Flashcards
What are ethical issues ?
When a conflict exists between the rights of participants and the goals of the research study to produce authentic, valid data
What is the BPS code of ethics ?
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
What are the four major principles of the BPS code of ethics ?
Respect
Competence
Responsibility
Integrity
What are the four major ethical issues ?
Informed consent
Deception
Protection from harm
Privacy and confidentiality
What is informed consent ?
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
Why is asking for informed consent a problem for researchers ?
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
What is deception ?
Deception means deliberately misleading or withholding information form participants at any stage of the investigation
What other ethical issue is faced when a participant has been deceived?
They cannot be said to have given informed consent
When can deception be justified ?
It can be justified if it does not cause the participant undue distress
What is protection form harm ?
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
What is included in the term psychological harm ?
Being made to feel embarrassed, inadequate or being placed under undue stress or pressure
What is an important feature of protection form harm ?
Participants being reminded that they have the right to withdraw from the investigation at any point
What is privacy ?
Participants have the right to control information about themselves
What is confidentiality ?
Refers to our right, enshrined in laws under the data protection act, to have any personal data protected
Where does the right to privacy extend to ?
The area where the study took place so that institutions or geographical locations are unnamed
What is the purpose of the BPS ?
To protect research participants, the reputation of psychology and psychologists themselves
How do you deal with informed consent ?
Participants should be given a consent letter or form detailing all relevant information that might affect their decision to participate
How do you get consent if a participant is under the age of 16 ?
A signature of parental consent is required
What are the alternatives way of getting consent ?
Presumptive consent
Prior general consent
Retrospective consent
What is presumptive consent ?
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
What is prior general consent ?
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
What is retrospective consent ?
Participants are asked for their consent during debriefing having already taken part in the study
How do you deal with deception and protection from harm ?
Participants should be given a full debrief
What is involved in a full debrief ?
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
How to deal with confidentiality ?
- 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
What is the cost benefit approach ?
Ethics committee with up the costs and benefits of research proposals to decide whether the research should go ahead
What are possible benefits of a study ?
Value of research
Ground breaking nature of research
What are possible costs of a study ?
Damaging effect on participants or the reputation of psychology as a whole
What is the role of the ethics committee?
Yo make judgements about the costs and benefits involved in carrying out individual pieces of research
What is debriefing ?
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
What is the aim of debriefing ?
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
