Ethical Issues

Question 1

What are the 4 main ethical issues?

Answer 1

• Informed consent
• Deception
• Protection from harm
• Privacy and confidentiality

Question 2

What is informed consent?

Answer 2

Makes participants aware of the aims and procedures of the research, their rights (to withdraw) and what the data will be used for.
Participants shouldn’t be coerced or feel pressured.

Question 3

What is deception?

Answer 3

Where participants are deliberately misinformed or information is withheld about a study.

Question 4

What is the consequence of deception?

Answer 4

Participants can’t give informed consent

Question 5

When can deception be justified?

Answer 5

When it doesn’t cause participants any distress.

Question 6

How are participants protected form harm?

Answer 6

• They shouldn’t be put in more risk than would occur in their everyday lives
• They should be protected from physical and psychological harm
• They should be reminded that they can withdraw at any time

Question 7

How is participants privacy protected?

Answer 7

Participants have the right to control information about themselves, which can include the geographical location or institution where a study took place.
This is protected by confidentiality.

Question 8

Which act protects our right to confidentiality?

Answer 8

The data protection act.

Question 9

What is confidentiality?

Answer 9

Our right that our personal data is protected from publication.

Question 10

Who created a code of ethics and ethical guidelines for researchers?

Answer 10

The British Psychological society

Question 11

Where are these guidelines implemented?

Answer 11

At research institutions by ethics committees.

Question 12

How should you deal with informed consent?

Answer 12

• Participants should be given a consent letter or form detailing all the relevant information.
• They’re given the opportunity to decide if they want to participate
• They should sign the form/letter if they agree.

Question 13

Can children under 16 sign a consent form by themselves?

Answer 13

No, signed consent if required from the parent/guardian

Question 14

What are other ways of getting consent?

Answer 14

• Presumptive consent
• Prior general consent
• Retrospective consent

Question 15

What is presumptive consent?

Answer 15

Rather than asking the participant directly, you ask a similar group of people if they think the study is acceptable. If the group agrees, then the consent of the original participant is ‘presumed’.

Question 16

What is prior general consent?

Answer 16

Participants give their consent to participate in a range of studies, including one that will involve deception. By consenting, they agree to be deceived.

Question 17

What is retrospective consent?

Answer 17

Participants are asked for their consent after the study has taken place, during the debriefing. They may not be aware of their participation or that they have been subject to deception.

Question 18

How should you deal with confidentiality?

Answer 18

• If personal details are held, they must be protected
  During the briefing and debriefing, participants are reminded that their personal information will be protected and not shared with other researchers

Question 19

What will researchers do to maintain anonymity of the participants.

Answer 19

Some might refer to the participants by initials or numbers when writing up the investigation.
It’s common to not record any personal information.

Question 20

How should you deal with deception and protection from harm?

Answer 20

• At the end of a study participants should be given a full debrief.
• They should be told what the data will be used for and given the opportunity to withdraw their data
• Participants should be reassured that their behaviour/results are normal/typical

Question 21

What should be involved in a debrief?

Answer 21

Outline the true aim of a study and inform them of any other information that had been withheld.
eg: the existence of a control group of participants

Question 22

What should participants be provided with if they’ve been subject to embarrassment or stress.

Answer 22

Counselling which the researcher will provide.