Ethics Flashcards
Who are the BPS and what is their role?
The BPS code of ethics is designed to guide all members of the society in their day-to-day professional conduct.
What does the BPS focus on?
4 ethical principles:
- Respect
- Competence
- Responsibility
- Integrity
What is a cost-benefit analysis?
A systematic approach to estimating the negatives and positives of any research
Informed Consent:
What should investigators do?
When should parental consent be obtained?
- Inform participants of the objectives of the investigation and get their consent to take part.
- Parental consent should be obtained for children under 16 as well as getting consent directly from children old enough to understand the study.
Examples - Informed Consent
- Johnson & Scott
- Harlow’s Monkey
- Ainsworth
Way of handling informed consent
Tell participants what they’re getting involved in and where the research will go
What is presumptive consent?
Consent gained from people of a similar background to participants in a study. If they would have been willing to participate in the study despite the deception then it is assumed that the actual participants will also be willing.
What is prior general consent?
This involves participants agreeing to be deceived without knowing how or when this will occur. However, if participants know they will be deceived at some point in the future it can affect their behaviour.
What is retrospective consent?
This involves asking participants for consent after they have already participated in the study. However, they may not consent and yet they have already taken part.
Right to withdraw:
What should participants be aware of?
- They can leave a study at any time, regardless of whether a payment or inducement has been offered.
- They can withdraw their data at any point in the future.
Examples - Right to Withdraw
- Zimbardo
- Milgram
Ways of handling right to withdraw
Let them leave
Deception:
What is unacceptable?
What should be avoided?
However…
- Misleading participants is unacceptable if they are likely to later object or show unease.
- Intentionally deceiving participants about the nature of the experiment should be avoided.
However, in some cases deception is unavoidable. In this case, we must debrief them afterwards.
Deception - Examples
- Asch
- Johnson & Scott
Ways of handling deception
- Retrospective consent
- Telling participants true intentions of the study