Ethics in psychological research

Question 1

Important ethical considerations

Answer 1

1. Informed consent
2. Protection from harm
3. Anonymity and confidentiality
4. Withdrawal from participation
5. Deception
6. Debriefing

Question 2

Informed consent

Answer 2

• participation in the study must be voluntary and fully informed
• participants must be fully informed about the nature of the experimental task, aims of the study, what they’ll be required to do and how their data will be used
• information provided to participants must be presented in an accessible way
• if participant is unable to provide informed consent, consent should be obtained from parents/guardians
• participants must be given sufficient time to familiarise themselves w/ the consent form; must feel free to ask Q and withdraw from participation
• form should have information about all aspects of the research process; includes researcher’s contact details

Question 3

Protection from harm

Answer 3

• participants are protected from all forms of physical and mental harm throughout the study, includes self-esteem
• ensure that they don’t suffer any negative consequences after participation
• in some cases, a special follow-up meeting must be arranged
• if vulnerable groups are used, ensure that special care is given to them and procedure isn’t too challenging
• sometimes participant distress may be unexpected, so, therapeutic help must be provided by the researchers after study

Question 4

Anonymity and confidentiality

Answer 4

• data collected, and fact of participation in study must remain unknown to any 3rd parties