Research Ethics Flashcards
What are some ethical issues?
Deception, potential harm, confidentiality and informed consent are a common focus in ethics. Ethical issues can stretch much more widely than that, to include law, publication, plagiarism and the fabrication of data.
How to obtain a participant’s consent?
Consent form and a study description (should avoid complex language and the use of jargon which is meaningless to anyone outside of psychology.)
When can you use deception?
Requirements are that the deception is necessary. If the research is important there has to be no other alternative deception-free way of conducting the experiment. The way the participants react in the debriefing will indicate the risks
When might you not use informed consent?
Naturalistic observations, people who might expect to be observed by someone as they’re in a public place.
What are ethics?
a set of values, norms and regulations that help constitute and regulate scientific activity
Why do we need ethics?
Conduct research on sensitive topics that can be traumatising or physical risks of harm
Research might involve deception to avoid revealing aims and hypotheses which could bias responses
What are the violations of ethical principles?
Minority groups may be particularly vulnerable to harm
1960s Radioactive study, participants from south Asia to England, given radioactive breads to eat, investigate why they were susceptible to anaemia, language barriers = often didn’t understand what they were signing up for
Henrietta Lacks 1951
Guatemalan STD studies 1946-1948
What is the Nuremberg code?
In 1947
Response to Nazi Germany
Voluntary consent, minimising injury, right to withdraw, for the betterment of humanity and the benefits must outweigh the costs
Important document in ethics, but not accepted as law or guidelines
What is the case study of repressed memory?
Participant suffered child abuse. Researcher was allowed to publish results, ps consented to use their clinical interviews (on condition on anonymity)
Another researcher hired a private investigator to delve into the ps life and questioned the ps account of abuse
Lawsuits followed, ps was bankrupt while the researcher is still well respected
What is the declaration of Helsinki?
Moral code over law
Review by independent committee and informed consent
By the World Medical Association
Experimental treatments can be used if it offers hope of saving the life
What is the Belmont Report 1974?
Aimed to formalise the fundamental ethical principles
Respect for Persons (people should be treated as autonomous agents, those with diminished autonomy are entitled to protection.)
Beneficence (max benefits, minimise harms)
Justice (who benefits? who wears burdens?)
Principles are nuanced
Can ethical guidelines cause problems?
Restrictions on academic freedom
The cost of not learning something
What study shaped our understanding of obedience to authority?
Milgram
Told this was a study of punishment on word learning (deception)
Ps given the role of teacher, with stooge the learner
Administered electric shocks to the learner
Shocks were fake! Participants not informed
Shocks could go to dangerous voltages
Participants exhibited real distresson administering the (fake) shocks
Milgram reported that many were glad to have taken part
What is the American Psychological Association code of ethics?
Beneficence, responsibility, integrity, justice and respect for human’s rights
What is the British Psychological Society code of ethics?
consent, deception, debrief, right to withdraw, confidentiality, protection from harm, responsibilities and consider the scientific value
