Ethical Issues

Question 1

Anonymity and Confidentiality

Answer 1

A participant’s right to have personal information protected e.g. withholding their name

Question 2

Participant’s P.O.V on Anonymity and Confidentiality

Answer 2

The Data Protection Act makes confidentiality a legal right

Question 3

Researcher’s P.O.V on Anonymity and Confidentiality

Answer 3

It may not be possible to keep info anonymous/confidential because some details of a study may lead to an individual’s identification

Question 4

Deception

Answer 4

Occurs when a participant is not told the true research aims of a study and/or not told what they will be required to do

Question 5

Participant’s P.O.V on Deception

Answer 5

Prevents being able to give truly informed consent

Question 6

Researcher’s P.O.V on Deception (1)

Answer 6

If participants know the research aims, this would spoil the study

Question 7

Researcher’s P.O.V on Deception (2)

Answer 7

It might be argued that some deception is relatively harmless and/or can be compensated with debriefing

Question 8

Informed Consent

Answer 8

Participants are given comprehensive information concerning the nature and purpose of a study and its role in it

Question 9

Participant’s P.O.V on Informed Consent (1)

Answer 9

Is necessary in order that participants can make a decision about whether to participate

Question 10

Participant’s P.O.V on Informed Consent (2)

Answer 10

Certain participants are unable to give informed consent e.g. young children

Question 11

Researcher’s P.O.V on Informed Consent

Answer 11

Giving informed consent may reduce the meaningfulness of the research because such info would reveal the study’s aims and affect participants’ behaviour

Question 12

Privacy

Answer 12

Refers to a person’s right to control the flow of information about themselves

Question 13

Participant’s P.O.V on Privacy

Answer 13

People expect to be observed by others in a public place, but there isn’t a universal agreement on what constitutes a public place

Question 14

Researcher’s P.O.V on Privacy

Answer 14

They don’t want to alert participants on the fact that they’re being observed as that’ll affect their behaviour

Question 15

Right to Withdraw

Answer 15

Participants should be told that they can stop participating in a study if they are uncomfortable

Question 16

Participant’s P.O.V on the Right to Withdraw

Answer 16

Consent isn’t solid, participants can withdraw their consent to be part of a study when they feel like the study is different from what they thought

Question 17

Researcher’s P.O.V on the Right to Withdraw

Answer 17

The loss of participants may bias the study’s results as the ones left may be highly motivated or less emotionally sensitive

Question 18

Protection from Harm

Answer 18

Participants should not experience negative physical effects or psychological effects

Question 19

Participant’s P.O.V on Protection from Harm

Answer 19

It’s reasonable for a participant to expect, at the end of any study, to be in the same ‘state’ they were in at the beginning

Question 20

Researcher’s P.O.V on Protection from Harm

Answer 20

It may not be possible to estimate harm before conducting a study

Question 21

BPS code of ethics and conducting (2009)

Answer 21

• Respect (informed consent, confidentiality, privacy and right to withdraw)
• Competence (awareness of professional ethics and making ethical decisions)
• Responsibility (protection from harm and debriefing)
• Integrity (honesty and addressing misconduct)

Question 22

Debriefing

Answer 22

• A post-research interview designed to inform participants about the true nature of the study
• Aims to restore participants to the state they were in at the start of the study
• Participants should also have the right to refuse permission for the researcher to use the data they produced

Question 23

Ethics Committee

Answer 23

• A group of people within a research institution approve a study before it begins
• The group may consist of both professional and laypeople
• The committee looks at all possible ethical issues and at how the researchers plan to deal with these, weighing up the value of the research against the possible costs in ethical terms

Question 24

Presumptive Consent

Answer 24

• A method of dealing with lack of informed consent or deception
• Ask a group of people who are similar to the participants whether they would agree to take in a study and if they agree to it, it’s presumed that the real participants would agree as well