Ethics

Question 1

Ethics

Answer 1

Ethical guidelines and standards are set out by the British psychological society (BPS) to assure the protection of participants in research.
Informed consent:
- ensuring participants have been well informed about the research and given consent on the basis of reasonable knowledge of what the research entails
Presumptive consent:
- when the researcher asks a similar group of people to the sample if they would take part after explaining the full aims and method. If this group consents, we assume the same about our participants.
How to deal with this?
- Participants should be given a consent form detailing information about the experiment. They should be informed about all aspects of the study and asked if they wish to take part. If the participant is below 18, consent should be gained from the parent/guardian.

Question 2

Deception

Answer 2

When participants have been deliberately misled about aspects of the method.
How to deal with this?
- after the study, the researcher should debrief the participants
- the researcher outlines the aim of the study and tasks that all conditions they took part in
- participants are given another opportunity to withdraw if they aren’t satisfied with the reason for deception
- if they withdraw the researcher must delete all the participant’s data and information

Question 3

Protection from harm

Answer 3

Participants should leave the experiment in the same state they arrived in. No physical/psychological harm should befall participants during the research.
How to deal with this?
- if harm is caused unknowingly participants should be offered psychological help during the debrief
- if participant takes on this offer, the researcher must follow up on them to ensure they have recovered from any harm caused by the method of the experiment

Question 4

Confidentiality

Answer 4

Participants personal details (including the nature of their performance) should be kept confidential and cannot be released to the public under the name of the participant.
How to deal with this?
- use an alias or initials instead of participants real names and release any data under this name
- number participants and refer to them by their numbers

Question 5

The right to withdraw

Answer 5

All participants have the right to withdraw from the study whenever they wish and cannot be coerced or manipulated to carry on taking part in the experiment if they wish to leave.
How to deal with this?
- remind participants before, during and after the experiment that they have the right to withdraw whenever they wish
- if participants would like to withdraw, the researcher should let them without any insistence on their continuation
- delete/ get rid of participants data after they leave

Question 6

Materials to deal with ethical issues

Answer 6

Consent form: write it from the researchers point of view
1. Dear participant or parent, inform participants of the aim of the study
2. Inform participants about what the study requires of them e.g tasks, timings. This is usually the longest part of the consent form.
3. Inform participants of ethical issues: confidentiality- data kept confidential, right to withdraw- can withdraw from experiment at any time and data will be deleted
4. If applicable to harm- help with therapy services e.g you will be offered support at the end of experiment/if needed
5. Allow participants the opportunity to contact you if they have questions e.g please contact me using following number 01010101.
6. If you consent to participating in the experiment, please sign here _________ Date:_________

Question 7

What should a debrief consist of?

Answer 7

1. Thank participants for taking part in the research
2. Inform the participants of the actual aim of the study (detailed)
3. Inform participants about what the actual task was and tell them what happened in all conditions, not just theirs
4. Offer withdrawal and confidentiality
5. Remind them of support available if harm is applicable
6. Provide them with the opportunity to asks questions
7. Offer thanks