Dealing with ethical issues Flashcards
what is one way of dealing with ethical issues?
cost- benefit analysis
A systematic approach to estimating the negatives and positives of any research
how do you deal with informed consent?
presumptive consent - a method of dealing with lack of informed consent or deception by asking a group of people who are similar to participants whether they would agree to take part in a study. If the people in the group consent to the procedures proposed in the real study, it is presumed that the real participants would also agree
how else can you deal with informed consent?
by getting participants to formally indicate their agreement to participate by signing a document which contains comprehensive information concerning the nature and purpose of the research and their role in it
what are the limitations of dealing with informed consent
giving full information may invalidate the purpose of the study
what people expect that they will or will not mind is different from them actually experiencing it
even if researchers have got consent, it does not guarantee that participants understand what they have let themselves in for
how do you deal with deception?
need for deception should be approved by an ethics committee weighing up benefits (cost-benefit analysis)
Participants should be debriefed after the study. This refers to a post research interview designed to inform participants of the true nature of the study. It may also be used to gain feedback about procedures in a study
what is a limitation of dealing with deception
debriefing does not reverse the effects of the study
cost-benefit analysis is flawed it involves subjective judgements and the cost/benefits are not always apparent until after the study
how do you deal with the right to withdraw and what are the limitations
participants should be informed that at the beginning of the study that they have the right to withdraw
participants may feel that they shouldn’t withdraw as it might spoil the study
In many studies, participants are paid and rewarded some way and may not feel able to withdraw
How do you deal with confidentiality and what are the limitations
researchers should not record the names of participants
They should use false names or numbers to represent individuals
it is sometimes possible to work out who the participants using information has been provided, for example the location of a school
how do you deal with privacy and what are the limitations
do not study anyone without their informed consent unless it is in a public space
there is no universal agreement about what constitutes as a public space
How do you deal with protection from harm and what are the limitations
stop the study if harm suspected
avoid any risks greater than experienced in everyday life
harm may not be apparent at the time of the study and only judged later with hindsight
