Ethical Issues

Question 1

what are ethics?

Answer 1

a set of moral principles that guide human behaviour

Question 2

what is the role of the BPS code of ethics?

Answer 2

the British Psychological Society have produced a set of ethical guidelines based on four principles

Question 3

when do ethical issues arise?

Answer 3

when there is a conflict or dilemma between participants’ rights and the needs of the researchers to gain meaningful findings.

Question 4

what are the four main ethical issues?

Answer 4

-informed consent
-deception
-protection from harm
-confidentiality/ privacy

Question 5

what does informed consent mean?

Answer 5

having participants make an informed decision about whether to take part in a study, involving making them aware of the aims, procedures and their rights (including the right to withdraw) and how their data will be used

Question 6

why may it not always be possible to get informed consent?

Answer 6

it gives away the aims of the study and can lead to demand characteristics

Question 7

how do we get informed consent?

Answer 7

participants are issued a consent letter informing them of the details of the study which they sign

Question 8

if informed consent isn’t possible, what other forms of consent are used?

Answer 8

-presumptive consent
-prior general consent
-retrospective

Question 9

what is presumptive consent?

Answer 9

a similar group of people are asked if the study is acceptable. If this group agree, consent from the original participants is ‘assumed’

Question 10

what is prior general consent?

Answer 10

participants agree to take part in a study but also agree to not know the details of the study

Question 11

what is retrospective consent?

Answer 11

participants asked for consent after they have taken part in the study. They may not have been aware they are in a study e.g. in a field experiment

Question 12

what does deception mean?

Answer 12

deliberately misleading or withholding information at any stage of an investigation. If participants haven’t given informed consent or have been deliberately lied to, this is deception

Question 13

when can deception be justified?

Answer 13

if it doesn’t cause participants undue distress

Question 14

what are the guidelines on deception?

Answer 14

-only acceptable if it is absolutely necessary for the success of research
AND
-participants are not likely to object or show unease once debriefed
AND
-there is no other alternative research method

Question 15

what are the ways of dealing with deception?

Answer 15

1. debrief ppts at the end of the study
2. give participants right to withhold data
3. reassure them their behaviour is normal
4. get retrospective consent
5. cost benefit analysis

Question 16

what is a cost benefit analysis?

Answer 16

is the temporary cost to the ppts outweighed by the knowledge gained from doing the research

Question 17

what is protection from harm?

Answer 17

harm can refer to physical or psychological

a small level of harm is acceptable if they are not placed at any more risk than they would experience in everyday life e.g. small amount of temporary stress

Question 18

how do we deal with protection from harm?

Answer 18

1. give participants the right to withdraw at any time
   -do a cost benefit analysis

Question 19

what is confidentiality?

Answer 19

the right by law to have information about yourself protected

Question 20

what are the ways of dealing with confidentiality?

Answer 20

1. anonymity- do not record any personal details in the final report; name, address, school, medical records
2. questionnaires- keep anonymous
3. case studies- avoid using full name e.g. initials
4. remind in briefing and debriefing that data will be protected