Research methods - Ethics in psychology

Question 1

What must participants consent to?

Answer 1

Everything that they could be subjected to. Sometimes animal subjects must be used instead.

Question 2

What must modern researchers show?

Answer 2

That the research they perform is ethically sound

Question 3

Any experiment involving what is governed by strict guidelines? Why do such guidelines exist?

Answer 3

When human participation is involved. Extensive, strict guidelines are designed to make sure that the experiment does not result in harm.

Question 4

What must each participant sign before they participate in an experiment?

Answer 4

An informed consent form - provides a written description of what participants can expect during the experiment (including potential risks and implications of the research)

Also lets participants know that their involvement is completely voluntary and can be discounted without penalty at any time.

Question 5

What does informed consent guarantee?

Answer 5

That any data collected in the experiment will remain completely confidential.

Question 6

If a research participant is under the age of __, their parents or legal guardians are required to sign the informed consent form.

Answer 6

18

Question 7

Why is deception sometimes necessary ?

Answer 7

To prevent participants’ knowledge of the exact research question from affecting the results of the study.

Question 8

What does deception involve?

Answer 8

Purposely misleading experiment participants to maintain the integrity of the experiment , but not to the point where the deception could be considered harmful

Question 9

What must participants receive where deception is involved?

Answer 9

Participants must receive a full debriefing upon conclusion of the study

Question 10

What is the purpose of the code of ethics?

Answer 10

To make sure that participants are treated with respect and not harmed

Question 11

What does the British Psychology Society ethical guideline state?

Answer 11

‘Investigators have a primary responsibility to protect participants from physical and mental harm during the investigation’

Question 12

What is the guiding principle?

Answer 12

Risks should be no greater than the risks participants are exposed to in their normal lifestyles.

The investigator has a responsibility to detect and remove any negative consequences of the research

Question 13

What must consent be?

Answer 13

Informed - participants should be told what they are letting themselves in for

Question 14

When is studying participants without consent ethically acceptable?

Answer 14

When what happens to them could just as likely happen to the participants in everyday life e.g observation in a naturalistic setting such as bus queues - people in bus queues may be observed by anyone

Question 15

What is the major problem with informed consent?

Answer 15

There is possibility that the researcher will ‘give the game away’ and thus influence participant’s behaviour

As a result, a case can be made for withholding information, for example MILGRAM (1963) where telling the participants that the study was about obedience would have rendered the research pointless

Question 16

What does the ethical design of a study need to make sure it doesn’t risk?

Answer 16

Physical or psychological harm to participants - beyond the risks that people experience in everyday life.

mild stress that comes with doing tasks such as memory tests are acceptable because they are similar to the stresses of school ot uni.

Question 17

Withdrawal?

Answer 17

Participants have the right to eliminate themselves from the experiment.

Question 18

What does a debrief involve?

Answer 18

Participants may be given more information about the study, including the hypothesis, and asked if they have any questions

Question 19

What does late withdrawal involve?

Answer 19

A participant may decide at a later point that they wish to withdraw their consent
They must be told that they have a right to withdraw at any point, and should be given contact details so that they can withdraw retrospectively. If they do so, their data must be deleted.

Question 20

In what ways does a study need to be confidential?

Answer 20

Participants in research must be anonymous and no personal details should be included in the study which would enable them to be identified.

Question 21

What does Data Protection Act 2018 specify?

Answer 21

Any personal data collected must be securely stored and destroyed when no longer required

Question 22

What must researchers careful consider?

Answer 22

Whether ‘the ends justifies the means’

If there is a conflict of interest between scientific progress and the rights and protection of the participants, the participants’ rights must always come first

Question 23

What is Socially sensitive research defined as by Sieber and Stanley (1988)?

Answer 23

Research where there are potential social consequences for participants, or the groups of people represented by the research