Ethics Flashcards
How does ethics impact psychological research?
- Limits research
- Research can’t be carried out without ethical issues
- Ethical issues must be explained before hand
- Research must be agreed by some sort of ethical committee
How can issues regarding animal ethics be reduced?
- Reduction in the number of animals used
- Refinement so the procedure is less invasive or living conditions are better
- Replacement by using computer models or human volunteers
What must be done to see if the use of animals in research is justifiable?
Bateson’s cube = cost/benefit analysis is conducted to determine the certainty of medical benefit and quality of research to see if it outweighs suffering to the animal
What are the strengths of the animal ethical guidelines?
- Society more accepting of research
- Moral standards maintained
- Guidelines enable vulnerable participants to be protexted
What are the weaknesses of the animal ethical guidelines?
- They restrict research = findings limited
- Must use smallest number of animals possible which limits reliability of findings
How was Milgram’s experiment unethical?
- Psychological harm caused to participants as actually thought they were giving shocks
- Participants decieved as thought they were looking at punishment on learning
- 45V shock quite high - physical harm?
- Participants were unable to give informed consent
- 3 participants suffered from seizures
What are the benefits of Milgram’s experiments being unethical?
- It highlighted to bodies such as the APA and BPS that ethical guidelines needed to be more rigorous
- No direct replication of these studies has occurred demonstrating how those such as Burger are conscious of ethics
What ethical issues arise when studying obedience?
- Virtually impossible not remove the right to withdraw
- Hard to not decieve participants as if they know they don’t really have to obey then it would affect findings
What ethical issues arise when studying prejudice?
- Creates potential for psychological harm as groups are pitted against one another
- e.g Sherif’s study required boys to directly compete against one another
- Deception - Sherif’s boys unaware they took part
What suggests the ethical issues in social psychology are worth the research gains?
- Can help society prevent blind destructive obedience
- Can be used in court proceedings as it is beyond the indivdual’s control
- Society has a greater understanding of prejudice
- Superordinate goals reduce prejudice in school - Jigsaw
What ethical issues arise in cognitive psychology experiments?
- A degree of deception to avoid demand characteristics
- Field experiments with ‘people on the street’ may have issues around consent as they may feel they have to take part
What ethical issues arise in cognitive psychology case studies of brain damaged patients?
- Pseudonyms to hide identity
- Violating privacy rights
- Overtesting
- Intensive and rigorous experimentation after they have already suffered a traumatic experience
What evidence suggests that brain damaged patients don’t mind being part of research?
HM was reported to have enjoyed being tested and saw the work as important in helping others. Although, it is possible he had no recollection of prior testing.
What is an example of an animal experiment in biological psychology that is relatively invasive and may not have been possible to conduct on humans?
Olds and Milner attached electrodes to different areas of the brain of rats which they could stimulate with a lever. Found rats stimulated reward system.
What is an example of an animal experiment in biological psychology where an optic nerve was cut that they wouldn’t have been able to cut on humans?
Downer (1961) studied monkeys, they removed the amygdala and cut the optic nerve. Found that monkets with no amygdala were calmer and placid
How are PET scans associated with ethical issues?
PET scans require the injection of a radioactive dye into the bloodstream and they require the person to remian still for an extended period in a very enclosed space. This goes against protection if they have to do multiple scans.
How is the use of PET scans in Raine’s (1997) study not as problematic as other studies involving PET scans?
The control group were having scans done for medical purposes anyway, rather than for the sake of the research and the criminals needed evidence for their case
How do PET scans violate the guideline that participants should leave in the same state they begun the research?
It could be argued that if they have a brain scan they may leave with knowledge that changes their view of themselves e.g if they know they are vulnerable to aggression
How are adoption studies associated with ethical issues?
Gathering accurate and reliable information about people’s life experiences if related to adoption may be too socially sensitive. People may not want to find out about their biological family or access could be limited
What issues arise over animals in learning psychology?
- Lab reared animals have been used extensively and often with negative stimuli like electric shocks to measure negative reinforcement
- Guideline of food restriction ignored when animals press lever for food - overeating
How was Pavlov’s (1927) study invasive?
They used aparatus to catch the dog’s saliva which was invasive.
How does Skinner’s (1948) study adhere to guidelines where he used pigeons and how might it not?
- He used 8 pigeons - low number - used a small number to gain valid results
- Starved the pigeons of up to 75% of their body weight to ensure they were always hungry which goes against deprivation
How is Watson and Rayner (1920) unethical?
- Little Albert deliberately distressed in order to condition a phobic response
- Thise caused harm which caused his mother to withdraw him
How were Bandura’s studies unethical?
- Deliberately exposed children to aggressive models
- Caused distress to the children by frustrating them as he told them the toys were reserved for special children
- Parents not mentioned, no mention of consent
What ethical issues surround the use of drugs in clinical psychology?
- Ability of patients with psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia to give informed consent
- Someone who has lost touch with reality may not be able to consider all the implication involved of taking part in drug trials
What is section 3 of the Mental Health Act (1983)?
Treatment can be given without a patient’s consent if detained under section 3. If drug therapy given this way some would argue it breaches guidelines. Although, it may be what is best for the patient and may be beneficial
What ethical issues surround clinical trials?
They are an essential part of testing the effectiveness of therapes and looking for side effects but if a placebo is used, patients who do not receive treatment might be denied therapy that could improve their condition
What ethical issues surround child psycholgy participation?
- Children have a limited understanding of what is happening and consent to research is limited
- UNCRC protects the rights and welfare of children involved
What ethical issues concern privation studies like Genie (1977)?
- Research was put before the wellbeing of 13 year old Genie
- Considerably overtested
- Research into neglect makes it difficult to keep confidentiality
How does research into attachment types raise ethical issues?
The Strange Situation places children deliberately in a situation where they become distressed. Although, the procedure is stopped if they become too distressed
What ethical considerations should researchers balance in child psychology?
- Risk of embarrassment, intrusion of privacy, sense of coercion
- Benefits of taking part
- Should respond to signs of a child’s distress even if they don’t ask to withdraw
