Ethical issues Flashcards
What are ethical issues?
These arise when a conflict exists between the rights of participants in research studies and the goals of the research to produce authentic, valid and worthwhile data.
What is the BPS code of ethics?
The British Psychological Society’s legal document which instructs psychologists in the UK about what behaviour is and is not acceptable when dealing with participants. Researchers have a professional duty to observe these guidelines and follow them.
What are the four major ethical issues involved in psychological research?
Informed consent
Deception
Protection from harm
Privacy and confidentiality
What is informed consent?
Making participants aware of the aims of the research, the procedures, their rights (including the right to withdraw) and also what their data will be used for. Participants should then make an informed judgement wether or not to take part without being coerced or feeling obliged.
What is deception?
Deliberately misleading or withholding information from participants at any stage of an investigation. These participants have not been given informed consent.
Can deception be justified?
In some instances, deception can be justified if it does not cause the participant undue distress.
What is protection from harm?
Participants should not be placed at any more risk than they would be in their daily lives. They should be protected from physical and psychological harm, feeling embarrassed or being put under extreme stress.
What is privacy and confidentiality?
Participants have the right to control information about themselves. This is the right to privacy and if this is invaded then confidentiality should be protected. Confidentiality is our right, enshrined in law to have any personal data protected.
How could you deal with informed consent?
Participants should be issued with a consent letter or form detailing all relevant information which may affect their decision to participate. If the participant agrees, this should be signed and for participants under 16, parental permission is required.
How do you deal with deception?
At the end of a study, participants should be given a full debrief in which they should be made aware of the true aims of the investigation and any details not supplied during the study.
How do you deal with protection from harm?
Participants should be told what their data will be used for and given the right to withhold data . Participants should be offered counselling by the researcher if they have been subject to stress or embarrassment.
How do you deal with confidentiality?
If personal details are held, these should be protected or alternatively, no personal details should be recorded to maintain anonymity. Researchers usually refer to participants using numbers or initials when writing up the investigation or use initials in a case study.
