Ethics Flashcards
What does ethics involve?
systematising, defending and providing standards by which behaviour can be judged to be right or wrong
What is normative ethics?
the practical task of arriving at moral standards that regulate right and wrong conduct
What are the distinct approaches to ethics?
- Consequentialism – the rightness or wrongness of an act depends upon its consequences
Utilitarianism – emphasises the role of pleasure of happiness as a consequence of our actions - Deontology (duty) – certain acts are right or wrong in themselves, not necessarily in terms of their consequences (Immanuel Kant)
Categorical imperative: ‘act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or that of another, always as an end and never as a means only’
What approach to ethics does the BPS take?
a deontological approach
What is psychological egoism (Hobbes)?
self-oriented interests ultimately motivate all human actions
What are the three different ethics coes?
- World health organisation (declaration of Helsinki)
- Guide for conducting medical research with human subjects - BPS: code of ethics and conduct and code of human research ethics
- Guidelines for carrying out psychological research - Institutional ethic codes
What does the code of ethics and conduct provide?
Provides framework for guiding all decision making for psychologists (in practice and research)
What are the four ethical principles of the BPS code of ethics and conduct?
- respect
- competence
- Responsibility
- Integrity
What are the points of consideration to do with respect in the code of ethics and conduct?
- Privacy and confidentiality
- Respect
- Communities and shared values within them
- Impacts on the broader environment – living or otherwise
- Issues of power
- Consent
- Self determination
- The importance of compassionate care
What are the points of consideration to do with competence in the code of ethics and conduct?
- Possession or otherwise of appropriate skills and care needed to serve persons and peoples
- The limits of their competence and the potential need to refer on to another professional
- Advances in the evidence base
- The need to maintain technical and practical skills
- Matters of professional ethics and decision making
- Any limitations to their competence to practice taking mitigating actions if necessary
- Caution in making knowledge claims
What are the points of consideration to do with responsibility in the code of ethics and conduct?
- Professional accountability
- Responsible use of their knowledge and skills
- Respect for the welfare of human, non-humans and the living world
- Potentially competing duties
What are the points of consideration to do with integrity in the code of ethics and conduct?
- Honesty, openness and candour
- Accurate unbiased representation
- Fairness
- Avoidance of exploitation and conflicts of interest (including self interest)
- Maintaining personal and professional boundaries
- Addressing misconduct
What are the principles in the BPS code of human research ethics?
- respect for the autonomy and dignity of persons
- Scientific value
- Social responsibility
- maximising benefit and minimising harm
What are the ethical standards to do with respect for the autonomy and dignity of persons in the BPS code of human research ethics?
Inform of nature of research
Avoid discriminatory practices
Ensure self-determination (protect against coercion)
Ensure privacy
What are the ethical standards to do with scientific values in the BPS code of human research ethics?
Accountability for research quality
Research question influential to society in some way
What are the ethical standards to do with social responsibility in the BPS code of human research ethics?
Purpose of research
Awareness of outcomes (predicted and unexpected)
Acknowledge limitations
What are the ethical standards to do with maximising benefit and minimising harm in the BPS code of human research ethics?
Assessing and identifying risk
Put in place measures to minimise or manage risks
What are practical considerations?
- Risk
- Valid consent
- Confidentiality
- Giving advice
- Deception
- Debriefing
- Professionalism
What is risk and what must risk be no greater than with experiments?
- Defined as the potential physical or psychological harm, discomfort or stress
- All psychological research carries some risk
- Normally, risk must be no greater than in ordinary life
What is it your responsibility to do with risks?
Identify potential risks
Develop protocols for risk management
Inform participants of any risks
What displays more than minimal risk?
- Vulnerable groups
- Sensitive topics
- Significant deception
- Access to personal or confidential information
- Access to sensitive data via third parties
- Psychological stress, anxiety, humiliation
- Invasive interventions, or more than minimal pain
- Potential impact on employment or social standing
- Labelling by researcher or participant
What two stages does informed consent involve?
- Instructing potential participants about the nature of the study
- Obtaining their written agreement to take part (exceptions: public records, some field research)
What does the participation information form describe?
- The nature of the study
- Any potential risks of inconveniences
- The procedure for ensuring anonymity or confidentiality of data
- The voluntary nature of the study and the right to withdraw at any time
Who can and cannot give consent?
- For children <16 years and others where capacity to consent may be impaired, the additional consent or parents of those with legal responsibility for the individual should be sought
- You should still try and obtain consent from the individual and try your hardest to explain the study in terms they understand
- There are also guidelines for people aged 16+ who are unable to make decisions themselves i.e. they lack capacity (Mental capacity act, 2005)
- This may be the results of a variety of conditions, including:
Dementia
Mental illness
Learning disability
Brain damage
Intoxication
Any other condition causing confusion, drowsiness of loss of consciousness
What does the mental capacity assessment say?
- The act says that a person is unable to make a decision if unable to:
Understand the information relevant to the decision
Retain the information
Use or weigh the information
Communicate his or her decision (by any means)
What should be features of the consent form?
- Use clear understandable language
- Cater to population you are working with
What are features of non-participation and withdrawal?
- Participants should be advised at the outset that they have the right to reuse to participate or to withdraw from the study:
At any time
Without giving a reason
Without prejudice - Participants also have the right to withdraw their data retrospectively
Notify of any time restrictions
Give features of confidentiality
- Ideally research allows complete anonymity
Where any identifying information is collected, that information must be kept confidential
If there is any reason to breach confidentiality, this should be agreed with Ps in advance of participation - Participant information forms should detail how data will be kept confidential
- Information provided by participants in research should not be divulged to any outside source
Includes both intentional and unintentional ‘leaks’
When is giving advice ethical?
It forms an intrinsic part of the study
It has been agreed with the participant in advance
It has been subject to ethics review in advance
- If you obtain evidence of problems unexpectedly:
Duty to inform participant IF failing to do so endangers the participants future wellbeing
Should identify risk of such evidence emerging
what is deception by commission?
actively misleading
What is deception by omission?
Failing to disclose all details
When may accidental deception occur?
Misunderstandings of what is required in the study
Misrepresentations of amount of time required
Experimental ‘extras’ that aren’t explained to the participants prior to obtaining consent
What is debriefing?
- Responsibility of research where deception has been employed
To ensure Ps are provided with sufficient information to fully understand the nature of the research at the earliest opportunity
What type of intervention is debriefing?
An active intervention
What is the purpose of debriefing?
Providing information to P about their role in the study both before and after they participate
Attempts to reduce any distress that may have been or are likely to be caused by the study
What are potential threats to ethics?
- if the participant can’t contact the experimenter after research
- Debrief isn’t feasible
- Any studies that involve deception
What is professionalism?
- Researchers have the responsibility to report with honesty and accuracy the results of their studies
- Researchers must also ensure that they give credit to the original source of ideas and other intellectual contributions when it has been used in their work:
Plagiarism
Must maintain original data and electronic copies of project write-up for potential verification
What should a participant expect pre-study?
Information about purpose, risks, rewards
Opportunity to ask questions
What should the participant expect during the study?
Right to withdraw
No unexpected risks
What should the participant expect post-study?
Debrief
Right to withdraw
Opportunity to ask questions and/or see results (doesn’t necessarily need to be individual level data)
