Psychology: Ethical Issues

Question 1

What is the BPS and what is there guide lines?

Answer 1

The British Psychological Society (BPS) have produced a set of ethical guidelines, based on four principles: Respect, Competence, Responsibility, Integrity.

Question 2

What is Informed Consent?

Answer 2

Participants should know what they are getting into before they do the study.
Informed consent involves making ppts aware of the aims, procedures their rights and how data will be used.
It may be impossible to get fully informed consent as it could lead to demand characteristics.

Question 3

How to deal with informed consent?

Answer 3

~ Presumptive consent - a similar group of people are asked if the study is acceptable. If this group agree, consent form the original participants is ‘assumed’.
~ Prior General Consent - participants agree to take part in a study but they don’t know the details of the study
~ Retrospective Consent - participants are asked for their consent after they have taken part in the study. They may not have been aware of their participation e.g. in a field experiment.

Question 3

What is Deception?

Answer 3

Deception means deliberately misleading or withholding information at any stage of an investigation. If participants haven’t given informed consent or have been deliberately lied to, this is Deception.
Sometimes Deception is necessary and can be justified if it doesn’t cause participants undue distress.

Question 4

What are the guidelines on Deception?

Answer 4

• Deception is only acceptable if it is absolutely necessary for the success of the research
• Participants are not likely to object or show unease once debriefed
• There is no other alternative research method available that does not involve Deception.

Question 5

How to deal with Deception?

Answer 5

• Debrief the participants at the end of the study
• Give participant the right to withhold data
• Reassure them their behaviour is normal
• Get retrospective consent
• Do a cost-benefit analysis

Question 6

What is Protection from Harm?

Answer 6

Harm can mean physical or psychological harm e.g. stress, embarrassment, feeling inadequate.
A small level of harm may be seen as acceptable if they are not placed at any more risk than they would in everyday life.

Question 7

What is a Cost-Benefit analysis?

Answer 7

Is the temporary cost the participants e.g. the need for Deception outweighed by the knowledge gained from doing the research?

Question 8

How to deal with Protection from Harm?

Answer 8

• Give participants the right to withdraw at any point if possible
• Do a cost-benefit analysis

Question 9

What is Privacy and Confidentiality?

Answer 9

Participants have the right to control information about themselves.
Confidentiality is the right (by law) to have information about yourself protected. This would included any personal info

Question 10

How to deal with Confidentiality?

Answer 10

• Anonymity
• Questionnaires
• Case Studies
• Remind in briefing and debriefing that date will be protected