Ethical Issues

Question 1

What are ethical issues?

Answer 1

Conflicts about what is acceptable

Question 2

What is informed consent?

Answer 2

Means revealing the true aims of the study and telling participants what is going to happen

Question 3

Why do some investigators not wish to give informed consent?

Answer 3

As it may lead to demand characteristics from participants as they may disclose the experiment details

Question 4

How can you obtain informed consent?

Answer 4

A consent letter
- Contains all relevant information
- Participants then sign if they agree

Question 5

3 Ways to gain informed consent and analysis

Answer 5

1. Prior general consent
   - Participants agree to take part in many studies therefore agreeing to all terms
2. Presumptive consent
   - Researcher gathers opinions from participants but doesn’t inform them
3. Retrospective
   - Asked for consent after the study

Question 6

What is deception?

Answer 6

Deliberately misleading or withholding information from the participants

Question 7

When can deception be justified?

Answer 7

If the experiment doesn’t cause distress

Question 8

Solutions to deception

Answer 8

1. Debriefing
   - Participants can be debriefed after the study
   - Then can decide whether their data is used or not

Question 9

What is the BPS and what does it do?

Answer 9

British Psychological Society
- What psychologists are advised by and what they are expected to do