What are ethics?
- Moral principles of behaviour; they are guidelines that help us determine whether behaviours are acceptable or not.
Why are ethical guidelines implemented?
In psychology, ethical guidelines express the values shared by people within the profession.
- They are there to protect participants and the researchers and to ensure the integrity of psychology.
What is the BPS code of ethics?
British psychological society is the representative body for psychology and psychologists in the UK.
- It is responsible for the promotion of excellence and ethical practice in the science, education and practical applications of psychology.
What are the 4 key principles?
The most recent code of ethics and conduct identifies four key principles:
1. Respect
2. Competence
3. Responsibility
4. Integrity
What are ethical issues?
- Sometimes in psychological research it might be necessary to blur the line between what is right and wrong to get a true understanding of behaviour. There are a number of ethical issues that need to be considered in psychology.
What are the 6 ethical issues?
Can= Confidentiality (+ privacy)
Do= Deception
Can’t= Consent (informed)
Do= Debrief
With= Right to Withdraw
Participants= Protection of participants
Confidentiality
- Participants details should be stored in a secure location and no details about them should be recorded or published.
- The data protection act makes confidentiality a legal right.
BUT….
It may be difficult to protect confidentiality when the findings are published (in a case study/ newspaper article etc).
- A researcher may guarantee anonymity but even then it may be obvious in a study.
Privacy
- The right to be free from inference or intrusion.
- People do not expect to be observed by others in a certain situations for example in the privacy of their own homes.
BUT….
It may be difficult to avoid invasion of privacy when studying participants without their awareness, for example in a field experiment.
Deception
- Participants should not be lied to about what will happen in the experiment.
- Prevents participants being able to give informed consent.
- They may agree to participate without knowing the true nature of the experiment= lead to a potentially distressing experience.
- May also make the researcher look untrustworthy.
BUT….
It can be necessary to deceive about the true aims of the study otherwise participants may alter their behaviour (not naturally representative).
Consent
- Participants should be told the aim of the research at the start and during the procedure of the study.
BUT….
Researchers do not reveal all aspects of a study to the participant to decrease demand characteristics.
Debrief
- At the end of any research study, participants should be fully informed about the aims of the study and any details they are not already aware of. They should be given the opportunity to ask questions and be offered psychological help if required.
- A debrief is a way of overcoming breaches of ethical guidelines in research.
Right to withdraw
- Participants have the right to leave the experiment at any time and should be told this at the start, throughout and reminded at the debrief.
- If a participant is made to feel uncomfortable or distressed they should be able to withdraw. This is especially important if the participant has been deceived.
BUT….
If the participants leave during the study this may bias the results.
- Some participants who have received money or university credits may feel less able to withdraw.
Protection from harm
- Participants should leave the experiment in the same physical and psychological state they entered in.
- It is considered acceptable if the harm is no greater than a participant would be likely to experience in ordinary life.
BUT….
It is difficult to guarantee protection from harm as some important questions in psychology may involve a degree of distress in participants and it is difficult to predict the outcomes of some experiments.
- Debriefs
- Psychological aid
