Ethical issues Flashcards
What is an ethical issue?
These arise in psychology when a conflict or dilemma exists between participants’ rights and researchers’ needs to gain valuable and meaningful findings.
What is informed consent?
This involves participants being made aware of the aims of the research, the procedures and their rights to withdraw and so they can also understand what their data will be used for.
What is deception?
This is where you deliberately mislead or withhold information from participants at any stage of the investigation.
What is protection from psychological and physiological harm?
This means that participants should not be placed at any more of a risk than they would be in their daily lives, and should be protected from physical and psychological harm.
What is privacy and confidentiality?
Participants have the right to control information about themselves, and have their personal data collected.
What is the right to withdraw?
This means that if participants change their mind about participating in the study they are allowed to leave with no questions asked and their data will be discarded.
What is the BPS code of conduct?
It’s a set of ethical guidelines, researchers have a professional duty to observe these guidelines when conducting research, if not they could lose their job.
How do you deal with informed consent?
Participants should be issued with a consent letter or form detailing all relevant information that might affect their decision to participate, assuming they want to participate the letter is signed.
How do you deal with deception?
Participants should be given a full debrief, they should be made aware of the aims and any details they were not told during the study.
How do you deal with protection from psychological and physiological harm?
Participants should be told what their data will be used for and must be given the right to withdraw during the study and the right to withhold data. If the participant experiences stress then the researcher should provide them with counsellig.
How do you deal with confidentiality?
If personal details are held these must be protected, however it’s far more useful to allow the participants to remain anonymous.
