Ethical Issues

Question 1

Define ‘ethics’

Answer 1

• A consideration of what is ‘right’ or ‘acceptable’ in the pursuit of a scientific goal

Question 2

What is an ethical issue?

Answer 2

When there is conflict between the goals of scientific research and the rights of participants, ethical issues arise

Question 3

What is the British Psychological Society (BPS)?

Answer 3

The professional organisation responsible for promoting ethical behaviour within psychological research in the UK

Question 4

The BPS code of ethics is built around 4 principals, what are they?

Answer 4

Respect
Competence
Responsibility
Integrity

Question 5

What are the purposes of ethics committies?

Answer 5

• Must approve a study before it begins
• Weighs up the benefits of the research aspect against the cost to the participants
• All institutions are required to have an ethics committies

Question 6

Define ‘debrief’

Answer 6

The procedure that is conducted after an experiment/study has concluded, where the researcher discusses all the elements of the study with the subjects in detail

Question 7

Ethical Issue: Protection from harm

Answer 7

• Psychological (eg. embarrassment, stress, pressure)
• Physical
• Participants should not be placed at any more risk than in their daily lives

Question 8

How to protect participants from harm

Answer 8

• Avoid any unnecessary harm
• Ask participants if they have any pre-existing mental or physical medical conditions
• Run the experiment through with the BPS/an ethics committee
• Stop the research at the first sign of any harm
• Debrief all participants, give aftercare
• Offer counselling

Question 9

Ethical Issue: Informed Consent

Answer 9

• When PPs are not fully aware of aims of research, procedures, their rights and what data is used for

Question 10

How to deal with informed consent

Answer 10

• Consent letter/form should be given
• Parents of under 16 and carers give consent on their behalf
• Offer a right to withdraw

Question 11

Types of uninformed consent

Answer 11

Presumptive
Retrospective
Prior general

Question 12

Presumptive consent

Answer 12

Asking a similar group

Question 13

Retrospective consent

Answer 13

Asking for consent afterwards

Question 14

Prior general consent

Answer 14

Giving a vague description and asking for consent

Question 15

Ethical Issue: Deception

Answer 15

• Deliberately misleading or withholding information from PPs
• Without this, the participant cannot give Informed Consent
• Can be justifiable in some cases

Question 16

How to deal with deception

Answer 16

• Must be approved by an ethics committee
• Debriefing should be used after
• The right to withdraw/withhold data
• Offer counselling

Question 17

Ethical Issue: Confidentiality and Privacy

Answer 17

• Pps have a right to control information about themselves
• If this is invaded, confidentiality is essential which is our right (Data Protection Act) to have any personal date protected
• Extends to location of study

Question 18

How to deal with confidentiality and privacy

Answer 18

• Allocate numbers, letters or codes to partivipant data in place of names to ensure it is anonymous
• Location is kept as general as possible