Research Methods: L9-15 Flashcards
Ethics committee
Made up of psychologists, staff, members of the public and people from other disciplines and specialties areas.
They approve research proposals by examining whether there are any ethical issues and if they have been properly resolved
Informed consent
Whenever possible investigators should inform participants of the objectives of investigations and gain their informed consent to take part.
Parental consent should be obtained for children under 16.
Additionally, consent should be obtained from children old enough to understand a research study.
Presumptive consent
This is consent gained from people of a similar background to participants in a study.
If they agree and are willing to participate in the study (despite the deception) then it is assumed that the actual participants will also be willing
Prior general consent
This involves participants agreeing to be deceived without knowing how or when this will occur. However, if participants know they will be deceived at some point in the future it can affect their behaviour.
Retrospective consent
This involves asking participants for consent after they have already participated in the study. However, they may not consent and yet they have already taken part. This would often result in their data being destroyed.
Protection from harm
Investigators have a responsibility to protect participants from physical and psychological harm during the study. Risk of harm should be no greater than in ordinary life.
Psychologists must stop any study immediately if they suspect a participant may be harmed.
Participants should leave the research in the same condition they entered it.
Right to withdraw
At the start of the research all participants must be made aware that they can leave the study at any time (& withdraw their data) without explanation, regardless of whether incentives has been offered.
This is difficult to implement during covert observations.
Confidentiality
Participants’ data is confidential and should not be disclosed to anyone unless it has been agreed in advance. Numbers or letters should be used instead of names if the research is published to help protect participant’s identity.
Deception
• The withholding of information in a research study is unacceptable, especially if participants are likely to object or show unease once they know they have been deceived.
• Intentional deception of the participants over the purpose and general nature of investigations should be avoided whenever possible. Participants should not be deliberately misled without scientific or medical justification.
• Sometimes deception is unavoidable as it participants knew the true nature of the research they would change their behaviour (demand characteristics). An ethics committee must approve all research before it begins. They conduct a cost-benefit analysis. This is when the potential harm of doing research is weighed against the potential gains.
Overcoming the ethical issue of deception by debriefing:
If deception is used then the real purpose of the experiment, and what occurred in the other conditions needs to be explained to participants after the study. During a debriefing session, participants should also be reminded of their right to withdraw and right to confidentiality, as well as the need to show respect to other participants (e.g. maintain their confidentiality).
Debriefing does not provide justification for unethical aspects of research. The debriefing also allows the participant to ask questions about the research.
Peer review
When research is sent to another psychologist in a similar field so the work can be scrutinised to be published in a journal
Usually double blind peer reviews (Both researchers are anonymous)
Academic journals
• They are expensive to buy, and many universities only buy a few each year, or subscribe to the journals online.
• The general public or less well off universities might not have access to these journals or the published research;
• Some psychological research might not necessarily be published in print but might instead go through a different process called, “Open access.”
Open Access: Online peer reviews
• This is a process where new knowledge can be viewed online by the scientific community and the general public, so that anyone can access the research and judge it.
• Such information is usually policed by the knowledge of the public.
Publishing Psychological Work:
1) The work can appear in journals that are used internationally
2) The work will be debated and new ideas can develop
3) Good quality due to the process of peer review
4) It will increase the reputation of the researcher and also offer them a chance to gain funding for their research
5) Many universities receive government grants for their research, so the university will gain more money.
The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology suggests that peer review serves three main functions.
1) Allocation of research funding
2) Publication of research in academic journals
3) Assessing the research rating of university departments
