6. Ethical Issues (AS) Flashcards
What are ethical issues?
Issues arise when a conflict exists between the rights of participants in research studies and the goals of research to produce authentic, valid and worthwhile data.
What are the four major ethical issues?
Informed consent, deception, protection from harm, privacy and confidentiality.
What is informed consent?
Informed consent involves making participants aware of the aims of the research the procedures their rights and also what the data will be used for.
How do you deal with informed consent?
Participants should be given a consent letter or form detailing all relevant information. - then signed.
Investigations involving children under 16 need a parental consent form.
What is deception?
Deception means deliberately misleading or with holding information from participants at any stage of the investigation.
How do you deal with deception?
What is the one should be given a full debrief and made aware of the true aims of the investigation. In extreme cases participants should be provided with counselling if necessary.
What is protection from harm?
Participant should not be placed at any more risk than they would be in the daily lives and should be protected from physical and psychological harm.
How do you deal with protection from harm?
Participant should be told what the data will be used for and given the right to withhold date if they wish. Also pcps should be reassured that there behaviour was typical or normal if they are concerned and should be given counselling if they’ve been subjected to stress or embarrassment.
What is privacy and confidentiality?
Participants have the right to control information about themselves this is the right of privacy. If this is invaded confidentiality should be protected.
How do you deal with confidentiality and privacy?
If personal details are held they must be protected normally however participants remain anonymous and I’ll refer to you as numbers or initials instead.
Who are the bps?
The bps are the British Psychological Society and are a governing body that provide a set of ethical guidelines for psychological research.
What is the bps code of ethics?
This is a quarterly document produced by the bps thanks drugs psychologists in the UK about what behaviour is and is not acceptable when dealing with participants.
What are the four major principles of the bps code of ethics?
It’s built around respect, competence, responsibility and integrity.
What can happen if you don’t abide by the bps code of ethics?
Researchers won’t be sent to prison but they may well lose their job.
