Ethics Flashcards
Research methods
What is an ethical issue?
- A conflict between 2 points of view
Why might an ethical issue occur?
- when there is a conflict between the rights of the p’s and the needs of the researchers to conduct research that makes a meaningful contribution to society.
What is confidentiality?
-concerns the communication of personal information from one person to another and trust that the info will be protected.
Describe confidentiality from the researcher and the p’s point of view.
RESEARCHER
- hard to protect if they wish to publish findings
- may guarantee anonymity but may still be obvious who was involved
PARTICIPANT
- the data protection act makes it a legal right
How could you overcome confidentiality and what are the issues with this?
OVERCOME:
- protect personal details
- maintain anonymity, use numbers/ letters
ISSUES
- can still be possible to work out who the p’s were
What is deception?
when a participant is not told the true aims of the study and thus cannot give valid consent.
Describe deception from a researcher and p’s point of view.
RESEARCHER
- can be necessary so the aim isn’t worked out
- maybe with hold info of the research aim but don’t deliberately provide false info
PARTICIPANT
- prevented from giving valid consent
- may see psychologist as untrustworthy, may not take part in future research
how could you overcome deception and what are the issues with this?
OVERCOME
- right to withdraw
- opportunity to discuss any concerns
ISSUES
- debriefing cannot reverse embarrassment
- permission may not be given
What is risk of harm
p’s must not experience negative physical/psychological effects
describe risk of harm from the researcher and p’s point of view.
RESEARCHER
- studying important topics may involve a degree of risk of harm
- difficult to predict the outcome of certain procedures (milgram)
PARTICIPANT
- acceptable if harm is no greater than the p’s would experience day to day
- must be in the same state after and before
How can you overcome risk of harm and what is the issue with this?
OVERCOME
- avoid any risk greater than experienced in daily life
- stop if harm is suspected
ISSUES
- harm may not be apparent at the time
What is privacy?
A persons right to control the flow of information about themselves.
Describe privacy from the researcher and the p’s point of view.
RESEARCHER
-may be difficult to avoid invasion of privacy when studying p’s without their awareness (field exp)
PARTICIPANT
- people don’t expect to be observed in certain situations
How would you overcome the issues of privacy and what are the issues with this?
OVERCOME
- do not study anyone without valid consent unless in a public space/ public behaviour
ISSUES
- no universal agreement about what constitutes a public space/ public behaviour
Describe the ethical issue: risk to the p’s values beliefs, relationships, status or privacy
How can this be dealt with?
- psychologists should consider the impact the research may have on the p’s.
- ensuring that the privacy of the p’s is maintained through confidentiality
What is valid consent?
- p’s are given information on the nature and purpose of the study and their role in it.
- make an informed decision on whether they want to participate
Describe valid consent from the researcher and the p’s point of view.
RESEARCHER
- may cause p’s to guess the aim, changing how they behave
PARTICIPANT
- need to make an informed decision
- basic human right
How would you gain valid consent and are there any issues with this?
- consent form
- U16s parental consent
- presumptive consent
- retrospective consent
-prior general consent
ISSUES - full info may invalidate the study
- still may not fully understand
- presumptive consent, presumes you will agree, experiencing may be different
Who are the 5 vulnerable populations stated by the BPS.
- children under 16
- patients in care
- learning/communication difficulties
- in custody/probation
engaging in illegal activity e.g. drug abuse
What does the psychologist need to ensure from vulnerable individuals and why?
- valid consent from a parent/guardian of the individual
- due to the fact that they may not understand the reasons so cannot give informed consent.
What are researchers asked to do when working with animals?
- consider alternatives to using animals
e.g. computer simulations
if using animals is unavoidable there are strict recommendations about: - species type
- care requirements
What is an ethics committee?
- approve any study before it begins
- look at possible ethical issues and how the researcher suggests they will be dealt with
- weighing up the benefits to the possible costs to p’s
What are ethical guidelines?
- The rules a researcher should follow to ensure their study is as ethical as possible
- Ethical guidelines could clear the individual researcher of any responsibility as they can say they followed the guidelines so their research is acceptable
