RESEARCH METHODS: Ethical issues and ways of dealing with them

Question 1

what is the definition of ethics?

Answer 1

ethics concerns the standard of behaviour that distinguish between right and wrong, justice and injustice

Question 2

what are ethical issues?

Answer 2

ethical issues is a conflict between what the researcher wants and the rights of the participants. They are conflicts about what is acceptable.

Question 3

what is the BPS?

Answer 3

British Psychological Society - it publishes a code of ethics which includes the following.

Question 4

what are the BPS code of ethics?

Answer 4

Privacy
Confidentiality

Deception
Right to withdraw
Informed consent
Protection from physical and psychological harm

Question 5

what is informed consent?

Answer 5

• involves making the participants aware of the aims of the research.the procedures, their rights, and how their data would be used.
• this will allow the participants to make an informed judgement as to whether to take part or not.
• informed consent may make the study meaningless for the researcher as the participants’ behaviour will not be natural.

Question 6

what are the alternative ways of getting consent?

Answer 6

• parents can give consent for children under the ages of 16

-prior general consent can be gained - it is when participants give permission to take part in a number of different studies, including one that involves deception

• presumptive consent - when a similar group of individuals are asked if the study is acceptable. If they agree then consent is presumed.
• retrospective consent - when participants are asked for consent during debriefing.

Question 7

what is deception?

Answer 7

It is deliberately misleading/withholding information from the participants.They have not been given informed consent.

Deception can be justified if it doesn’t cause distress in participants.
This is only used if there is no alternative.
Approval should be sought from an ethics committee.
Debriefing doesn’t justify deception

Question 8

what is protection from harm?

Answer 8

It is when participants psychological and physiological safety is ensured.We cannot expose them to greater risk than their normal life experiences. This includes protecting them from embarrassment, stress, pressure.

An important feature of protection is reminding them that they can withdraw from the investigation at any point

Question 9

how do psychologists deal with deception and protection from harm?

Answer 9

• at the end of each study, the participants should be issued with debrief where they will be informed the aims of investigation.
• after the debrief the participants have the right to withdraw their data from the experiment.
• in extreme cases the researcher may need to provide counselling.

Question 10

what is the right to withdraw?

Answer 10

We must make participants aware that they are free to leave a study at any time, even if we paid them. They can also refuse permission for their data to be used.

Question 11

what is confidentiality?

Answer 11

• information about the participants is protected by the data protection act
• they must not be identifiable in published research

Question 12

what is privacy?

Answer 12

Participants have the rights to control information about themselves . we must only observe people in places where they are expected to observe by others in public places.

Question 13

how do psychologists deal with privacy and confidentiality?

Answer 13

• researchers need to securely dispose of any confidential data that is gathered once the research is over.
• participants should be referred to using numbers of letters
• during both briefing and debriefing process, participants should be reminded that their data will be protected.