Ethics (RESEARCH METHODS 2/3)

Question 1

ethics

Answer 1

correct rules of conduct necessary when carrying out research
researchers have moral responsibility to protect participants from harm, respect rights and dignity
must abide by certain moral standards
to protect research participants, the reputation of psychology and the psychologists themselves

Question 2

ethics committee

Answer 2

every institution in which research takes place must have an ethics committee approve research
consider ethical implications and how researcher will deal with them
use BPS guidelines and carry out cost-benefit analysis
made up of range of members with broad experience of psychology and two external members (one from another university department and a lay person with no knowledge of psychology, distance research from morals, reduce bias)

British Psychological Society (BPS)
American Psychological Association (APA)

Question 3

BPS ethics principles - RESPECT

Answer 3

respect dignities, understand cultural differences and backgrounds, individuals have the right to be treated in a fair and unprejudiced way, acknowledges that all humans are worthy of equal moral consideration

Question 4

BPS ethics principles - COMPETENCE

Answer 4

should not claim to be competent if not, research and practice should be carried out to best of ability, should keep up to date and look for improvements, important to work with recognised limits of knowledge, skill, training, education and experience

Question 5

BPS ethics principles - RESPONSIBILITY

Answer 5

maintain professional boundaries, act on misconduct, honest and cause no harm, must take steps to make things right, responsible to participants and monitor mental and physical health, awareness of responsibility ensures trust is not abused, power of influence properly managed and duty towards others is paramount

Question 6

BPS ethics principles - INTEGRITY

Answer 6

honesty and accuracy, conflicts of interest must be identified and explained, professional boundaries maintained, requires putting self-interest to one side and being objective and open to challenge in professional context

Question 7

BPS code of ethics

Answer 7

protection from harm
informed consent
deception
confidentiality
right to withdraw
debrief

Question 8

protection from harm

Answer 8

responsibility to protect participants from physical and emotional harm e.g. embarrassment, humiliation, stress or loss of self-esteem or dignity)
should be exposed to no more risk than in everyday life
risk should be minimal and pose no long term harm or prolonged personal discomfort
should leave study in the same state and health as they entered it

Question 9

protection from harm difficulties

Answer 9

difficult to determine all potential risks
may carry no physical harm but may still be disruptive and damaging to participants
don’t know how may affect a participant

Question 10

how protection from harm is dealt with

Answer 10

check with ethics committees to spot any potential problems
ask participants about physical / mental conditions
debrief and provide aftercare

Question 11

informed consent

Answer 11

when participants know aims, nature of procedure, purpose of role and agrees to it (opportunity to withdraw, data and method)
should be fully informed before consenting but not always possible
verbal or written

Question 12

how informed consent is dealt with

Answer 12

ask participants to read and sign a consent form or guardians of children under 16 (or adult with communication / understanding difficulties - carer may be consulted)
children’s wishes should overrule parents if they don’t want to participate
children should still be informed, need to safeguard for under 18s
Raine’s research on brain differences in murderers used people who were incarcerated who pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity - not understand requirement, put under pressure

Question 13

deception

Answer 13

should not withhold information or deliberately mislead about nature of experiment to encourage people to consent or get more valid results

debrief should be used to explain real aim and rationale

Question 14

exceptions to deception

Answer 14

when deception is minor
deemed scientifically justified by an ethics committee
if participants are unlikely to object / show unease when deception revealed
used to prevent demand characteristics - behaviour is natural and results are more valid
may be necessary that participants do not know the purpose to get realistic results - dealt with in ethical ways

Question 15

types of deception

Answer 15

DELIBERATE MISLEADING - e.g. using confederates, staged manipulation in field settings, deceptive instructions
DECEPTION BY OMISSION - e.g. failure to disclose full info or creating ambiguity

Question 16

types of consent (relevant to deception)

Answer 16

PRESUMPTIVE CONSENT - people from a similar background asked whether they would be willing, deemed that participants would be too
PRIOR GENERAL CONSENT - agree to be decieved without knowing how
RETROSPECTIVE CONSENT - asking for consent after the study

Question 17

confidentiality

Answer 17

should feel confident that the report won’t reveal data which makes it possible for individual participants to be identified
should remain anonymous
difficult in high profile cases - pseudonyms used but if considerable coverage on a widescale, may still be identified
should allocate numbers, letters of codes to data to ensure anonymity
keep location of research as general as possible
consent must be gained if anonymity is impossible

Question 18

right to withdraw

Answer 18

should be allowed to leave at any point or withdraw their data
should be no pressure to continue (payment, spoiling the study)
should be reminded of this right

Question 19

debrief

Answer 19

should be briefed at start as much as possible
too much detail may affect results so a full debrief is needed
includes explanation of study, expected and real results
right to withdraw offered
purpose to remove misconceptions and anxieties about research and to leave them with a sense of dignity, knowledge and time not wasted

Question 20

cost-benefit analysis

Answer 20

used by ethics committees
weigh up potential costs to participants with potential benefits to science or society

Question 21

ignoring ethical guidelines or ethics committees

Answer 21

psychologists cannot be banned from research but may be expelled from university or professional research, have research license revoked and may face legal action from participants

Question 22

informed consent forms

Answer 22

makes participant aware of what the experiment involves
- purpose of study
- explanation of exactly what required to do
- duration of study
- how to withdraw
- issues of confidentiality / anonymity
- space to gather consent (signature) and date

Question 23

debrief forms

Answer 23

explanation at the end of the study
- purpose of the project
- how and when results will be available
- confidentiality (results anonymous)
- right to withdraw - how to withdraw data and time-frame in which they can withdraw (any payment offered still given)
- psychological harm - leaving in same state as entering the study, ensure not distressed or offended
- whom participant should contact if they wish further information

• what research uncovered
• what the other condition was
• next steps of the project
• thank the participant

necessary for studies involving deception
verbal debrief may be necessary for sensitive topics to ensure they are not distressed