PS1018 - Ethics Flashcards
What are the five general principles of the APA Ethical Guidelines?
- Beneficence and Nonmaleficence
- Fidelity and Responsibility
- Integrity
- Justice
- Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity
What is the purpose of the Belmont Report?
To establish ethical principles for research involving human ppts, including Respect for Persons, Beneficence and Justice
What is an Institutional Review Board (IRB)
A committee that reviews research proposals to ensure ethical standards are met, particularly regarding ppt welfare
When is deception in research ethically permissible?
- when its necessary for the studies validity
- when it involves minimal risk to ppts
- when ppts are debriefed after
What is the difference between confidentiality and anonymity?
Confidentiality - ppt information is protected and not shared
Anonymity - ppts identities are unknown even to researchers
What does a risk vs benefit analysis involve
assessing whether the potential benefits of the research outweigh the possible risks to participants
What ethical guidelines apply to animal research?
- Humane treatment of animals
- Minimisation of harm and discomfort
- Proper housing and care standards
- Oversight by committees like IACUC
What are some emerging ethical concerns in research?
- Protecting online data privacy
- Ethical use of AI and big data
- Managing risks in virtual or digital research environments
Why is counterbalancing important in ethical research?
reduces potential confounds like order effects or practice effects, which could unfairly influence ppt responses
what should researchers do if ethical issues arise during a study?
Report to the IRB, halt the study if necessary, and take corrective measures to protect ppts
What does the BPS code of conduct cover
both research and clinical practice
What ethical principles is the BPS code of conduct based on?
- Respect
- competence
- responsibility
- integrity
BPS Practice Guidelines
- Legal framework for psychological work
- Cycle of professional practice
- Reflective practice
- Development, training and leadership
Why get ethical approval?
- required in you are a member of the BPS
- ESRC (research funder) requires it
- Journals require it
Ethical issues in Milgram’s obedience experiment
- ppt displayed severe stress
- deception was used
- questions arose about whether ppts truly consented
When is confidentiality allowed to be broken?
- when a child or vulnerable adult is at risk
- For terrorism prevention
- if someone’s health or life is at risk
Key goals of debriefing
- Explaining research purpose
- resolve deception
- return ppt to original emotional/physical state
- allow questions and provide contact info
What are ‘protected titles’ under the HCPC and BPS?
Titles like clinical, forensic and educational psychologist, which require registration with HCPC
Methodological concern with Zimbardo’s Prison Experiment
Lack of safeguards led to extreme behaviours like bullying and dehumanisation, raising significant ethical concerns
Ethical Issues with the Nazi Experiments
- Involuntary and non-consensual experiments
- Violation of Medical ethics
- Inhumane Treatment
Scientific Issues with the Nazi Experiments
- Lack of Scientific rigor
- Questionable validity
- Absence of peer review
Moral Dilemmas with the Nazi Experiments
- Should Unethically Obtained data be used?
- victims memory and dignity
- precedent for future research
Arguments for using Nazi research data
- potential to save lives by improving hypothermia treatment
- data is unique and difficult to replicate under ethical conditions
- could serve as a historical reminder of the atrocities
Arguments against using Nazi Data
- Legitimizes unethical research and dishonours victims
- Poor scientific rigor makes data unreliable
- Risks setting a precedent that unethical data can be used
