Ethics: RM Flashcards
What is the role of The BPS code of ethics?
BPS exists to protect the safety and dignity of participants. It is also safeguarding for the researchers as well as protecting the reputation of the psychology profession.
What are Ethical Guidelines?
These are a set of principles set by higher bodies (i.e. BPS), to ensure psychologists behave with honesty and integrity.
What are Ethical Issues?
This is conflict between the rights of participants and the aim of researchers.
( well being of participant VS success of research).
What is EG: Informed Consent?
Informed Consent is when participants are made aware of the aims of the research and their rights in an experiment.
What are TWO ways to incorporate Informed Consent?
- Tell participants the aim.
- Write consent forms.
What are the FIVE steps to writing a consent form?
- Give aim of the experiment.
- Information about rights.
- Be respectful & open to questions.
- Write it so it can be read to participants.
- Ask for consent.
What is EG: deception?
This is when researchers deliberately mislead participants, this is due to the fact that participants may behave differently if they are aware of the fact they are being tested on (i.e. demand characteristics). Researchers may use deception to reduce this.
Why is deception an ethical issue?
It is ethical as it is still required that as a researcher you respect informal consent.
What are TWO ways to deal with the ethical issues of Deception?
- Debrief participants at the end of the study.
- Create a debrief form.
What are the FIVE steps in creating a debriefing form?
- Explain the aim.
- Inform about all other conditions.
- Remind them of their rights.
- Write it so it can be read to participants.
- Be respectful & open to questions.
What is EG: the right to withdraw?
This is when the participants should have the right to withdraw from the experiment.
What is the Ethical Issue with the right to withdraw?
If participants leave during the study it will cause problems for the research: incomplete experiment and waste of budget.
How should researchers deal with the ethical issue for rights to withdraw?
They should give them a consent form that clearly sets out their rights to withdraw.
What is the EG: confidentiality?
This refers to the rule that the data about the participants should be controlled.
What is an ethical issue of confidentiality?
The ethical issue is that it is not always possible to guarantee full confidentiality.
How do you deal with the ethical issues of confidentiality?
- Don’t record the names of participants (number system).
- Provide a consent form about confidentiality.
What is the EG: privacy?
This is when participants should be in control entirely of their personal information.
What is the ethical issue with privacy?
Invading privacy may be inevitable in some research as private information is usually needed for the experiment.
How do you deal with ethical issues in relation to privacy?
- Do not study anyone without their consent.
- Provide a consent form.
What is the EG: protection from harm?
This is where participants should not suffer physical or psychological harm.
What is the ethical issue of protection from harm?
Harm is sometimes necessary for some types of research and the harm may be justifiable due to the results of the research.
How do you deal with the ethical issues from protection from harm?
- Let the ethics committee decide if the harm is justifiable.
- Monitoring participants during study, and stopping the research if it is concerning.
