7. ethical guidlines Flashcards
what are ethical guidelines
ethical committees can be used to assess whether a research proposal is ethical or not - psychologists who contravene the code can be disbarred.
ethical issues generally arise because of the conflict between psychologies need to gain valid research findings whilst at the same time preserving the rights of participants.
why is consent an ethical guideline
informed consent from participants to tell them what is going on and what is going to happen to them - this is needed unless in a public place or a field study.
why is deception an ethical guideline
avoid deception use if it is justifiable.
why is debriefing an ethical guideline
has to be done unless it is a public observation. it deals with questions and happens after the study.
give them contact number or email so can say concerns or withdraw. give them option to withdraw and remind them of confidentiality and how it is done. tell them the true nature of the investigation. deal with the deception to reassure the participant. thank them for taking part.
what is withdrawal an ethical guideline
participants can withdraw their data at any time.
why is confidentiality an ethical guideline
not using names or releasing names or photos/videos until 30 years later.
why is protection from harm an ethical guideline
provide no more harm than they would experience in every day life.
how does ethics differ in observations
participants do not give informed consent.
when can ethical guidelines be broken
as long as the researcher can justify their means it may pass.
ethical implications = the impact that psychological research may have in terms of:
the rights of people who are participating in the research
impact on wider society
influencing of public policy
perception of certain groups of people
the way certain social groups are treated
what ethical implications were there in bowbly research
the theory of attachment suggests that children form one special attachment bond (usually with the mother) which must take place within a critical period. also suggested this attachment bond affects the future relationships through an internal working model.
while the theory has contributed to the development of childcare practices, it has also encouraged the view that a woman place is at home with her children which could make some mothers feel guilty for wanting to return to work following childbirth.
what were the ethical implications in milgram research
participants were deceived and were unable to give fully informed consent. the experiment also caused significant distress and the participants were told to continue against their will.
however participants were debriefed after the experiment and a follow up interview took place a year later. the outcome of these follow up interviews showed that the stress the participants had suffered had no long term effects = this is when you consider whether the ends justify the means.
what were the ethical implications in zimbardo research
did not give participants the right withdraw during the study process. also caused psychological harm to the participants.
when can ethical guidelines not be used
no informed consent is justified when participants do not need to be made aware of anything that may affect their willingness to participate. this could affect the results - zimbardo was not aware about how bad this would be.
deception can be argued that it is needed - milgram interviewed after to see the effects. also zimbardo did not make the participants aware of the arrest before.
withdrawal = milgram argued that he needed to break this because they would not be obedient - in his the study 33% withdrew.
what is an ethics committee
prior to a study taking place a cost benefit analysis should be taken as well as a full review by ethical committee. any research (particularly that which may be so sensitive) must be reviewed by an ethical committee prior to the study taking place.
ethical committees allow different perspectives to judge the research which may highlight aspects that have been missed by the researcher. although any cost benefit analysis is invariably subjective, it does increase the chance that research is ethically sensitive as possible before being conducted.
