Ethical issues

Question 1

Valid consent

Answer 1

• participants are given information concerning the nature and purpose of the research and their role in it

How to deal with it:
participants formally indicate their agreement to participate

Question 2

Risk of harm

Answer 2

• participants should not experience negative physical or psychological effects such as physical injury, embarassment

How to deal with it:
stop the study if harm is suspected

Question 3

Privacy

Answer 3

• a persons right to control the flow of information about themselves

How to deal with it:
do not study anyone without their valid consent

Question 4

Confidentiality

Answer 4

• concerns the communication of personal information from one person to another and the trust that the information will be protected

How to deal with it:
researchers should not record the names of any participant should use numbers or fake names

Question 5

Deception

Answer 5

• a participant is not told the true aims of the study and cannot give valid consent

How to deal with it:
the need for deception should be reviewed and weigh the benefits or disadvantages of it

Question 6

Strategies to deal with ethical issues

Answer 6

• Right to withdraw
  
  • may not want to participate in research
• Debriefing - at the end of the study participants are told the true aims of the study if they have been potentially deceived
• Punishment
  
  • if unethical research has been conducted then the psychologist could be banned from research
• Ethics commitee

Question 7

Evaluation

Answer 7

• Right to withdraw
  - participant may feel guilt as it would ruin research
  
  • many studies pay so they may not feel comfortable withdrawing

Debriefing
- some participants still may feel cheated or still feel embarassed from the research