Ethics Flashcards
what is the role of the British Psychological Society’s code of ethics
they provide standards that concern any group of professional individuals, such as doctors or teachers, advising them of what is expected of what is right or wrong in their jobs
List some ethical issues that may occur in the design of psychological studies
1) informed consent
2) right to withdraw
3) deception
4) protection from physical and mental harm
5) confidentiality
6) privacy
Describe the ethical issue of informed consent
participants must be given comprehensive information concerning the nature and purpose of the research and their role in it, allowing them to make an informed decision if they wish to be involved.
How can informed consent be dealt with in research
1) pps are asked to formally indicate their involvement in the study such as by signing a document containing information about the study and their role in it
2) gain presumptive consent
3) offer the right to withdraw
what is presumptive consent
a method of dealing with ethical issues by asking a group of individuals similar to the pps whether they would agree to take part in the study . If they agree it is presumed that the true pps would have also agreed
What are the limitations of informed consent
- if pps are given full info about the study it may invalidate the purpose of the study
- even with informed consent it doesn’t guarantee that pps really do understand what they are doing
Describe the ethical issue of deception
When a pps is not told the true aims of the study and thus cant give informed consent
a distinction must be made between withholding the aims and deliberately providing false information
how can deception be dealt with
1) the need for deception should be agreed upon by the ethics committee
2) pps should be fully debriefed after the study and be given the opportunity to discuss any concerns
3) the right to withdraw or withhold their data being used after the study
what are the limitations of deception
- cost-benefit decisions are flawed because they involve subjective judgments, and the cost-benefits are not always obvious until after the study
- debriefing cant turn back the clock- PPS may still be embarrassed or have lowered self esteem
Describe the ethical issue of the right to withdraw
pps can stop participating in the study if they are uncomfortable in any way.
pps have the right to refuse permission of the researcher to use any data produced
how can the right to withdraw be dealt with
inform the pps at the start of the study that they have the right to withdraw at any time
what are the limitations of the right to withdraw
- pps may feel they shouldnt withdraw as they don’t want to spoil the study
- in many studies pps are paid so may feel like they are unable to withdraw
Describe the ethical issue of protection from mental or physical harm
during the study, pps should not experience negative physical or mental effects such as injury or lowered self esteem
how can protection from harm be dealt with
1) avoid any risks greater than experienced in real life
2) stop the study if harm is suspected
what are the limitations to the ethical issue of protection from harm
harm may not be apparent at the time of the study and only judged later with hindsight
