Ethical considerations

Question 1

British Psychological Society (BPS)

Answer 1

This issues ethical guidelines for those involved in conducting psychological research. These outline what is considered acceptable and unacceptable and is based on 4 ethical principles.

Question 2

Respect

Answer 2

Valuing the dignity and worth of all individuals. Psychologists should respect peoples individuality and not show prejudice on the basis on age, gender,disability,ethnicity,religion etc.

Question 3

Competence

Answer 3

Psychologists should recognise that ethical dilemmas will inevitably arise in the course of professional practice and accept their responsibility to attempt to resolve such dilemmas.

Question 4

Responsibility

Answer 4

Psychologists should value their responsibilities to the general public, and to the profession and science of psychology, including the avoidance of harm and prevention of misuse/abuse of their contributions to society.

Question 5

Integrity

Answer 5

Psychologists should value honesty,accuracy,clarity and fairness in all their interactions with all people and promote integrity. The guidelines relating to deception are part of the integrity principle.

Question 6

Informed consent (respect)

Answer 6

Ps should be told nature purpose and consequences of any research and the researcher should gain informed consent at start of research. If ps under 16 then consent is gained by parent/guardian.

Question 7

Deception (integrity)

Answer 7

Intentional deception, like lying to ps, misleading them of aims and aspects involved, is to be avoided unless necessary in exceptional circumstances to preserve integrity of research. (many studies wouldn’t achieve valid results due to demand characteristics if deception was not employed.

Question 8

Privacy and confidentiality (respect)

Answer 8

Ps privacy should be respected and in the case of observations research you should only expect to be observed in a public place. All results/info gathered relating to individuals is to be kept confidential. Names,details not to be released and ps should be aware a breach of confidentiality could occur.

Question 9

Right to withdraw (respect)

Answer 9

Researchers should make it clear to ps of their right to withdraw at any time irrespective of payment or other inducement. If a ps withdraws they have the right to demand their own data & recordings to be destroyed.

Question 10

Protection of participants (responsibility)

Answer 10

Ps should leave any study unharmed and in the same condition they arrived in without suffering any physical/psychological harm e.g embarrassment.

Question 11

Debrief (responsibility)

Answer 11

This is to be done at the end of a study and is the researchers responsibility to provide ps with any necessary info needed to complete understanding of the study and ensure they suffered no harm. If ps have been deceived in any way or consent is not gained the researchers should fully explain the true purpose.

Question 12

cost benefit analysis

Answer 12

psychologists must weigh up the benefits to society that may be gained by testing new theories and then the costs to the participants within the research.