Research Methods Y1 - Ethical Issues and Ways of Dealing With Them Flashcards
What are “Ethical issues” in psychology?
Ethical issues arise when a conflict exists between the rights of participants in research studies and the goals of research to produce authentic, valid, and worthwhile data.
What is the “BPS code of ethics”?
The BPS code of ethics is a quasi-legal document produced by the British Psychological Society (BPS) that instructs psychologists in the UK about what behaviour is and is not acceptable when dealing with participants. It is built around four major principles: respect, competence, responsibility, and integrity.
What is informed consent in psychological research?
Informed consent involves making participants aware of the aims of the research, the procedures, their rights (including the right to withdraw partway through the investigation), and also what their data will be used for. Participants should then make an informed judgment on whether or not to take part without being coerced or feeling obliged.
Why might informed consent affect the study?
Asking for informed consent may make the study meaningless because participants’ behaviour will not be ‘natural’ as they know the aims of the study.
What is deception in psychological research?
Deception means deliberately misleading or withholding information from participants at any stage of the investigation. Participants who have not received adequate information when they agreed to take part (or worse, have been deliberately lied to) cannot be said to have given informed consent.
When can deception be justified?
Deception can be justified if it does not cause the participant undue distress.
What does protection from harm involve in psychological research?
Protection from harm means that participants should not be placed at any more risk than they would in their daily lives and should be protected from physical and psychological harm. The latter includes being made to feel embarrassed, inadequate, or being placed under undue stress or pressure.
What is a participant’s right concerning protection from harm?
A participant has the right to withdraw from the investigation at any point. Furthermore, participants must be reminded of this right if they feel any harm or discomfort during the study.
What is privacy and confidentiality in psychological research?
Privacy refers to the right of control over information about oneself. This is the right of participants not to reveal confidential information.
Confidentiality means that data protection is covered by law under the Data Protection Act.
What does the right to privacy extend to?
The right to privacy extends to the area where a study took place, such that institutions or geographical locations are not named.
What is the BPS code of conduct?
The British Psychological Society (BPS) lays out ethical guidelines for conducting research. These are closely matched to ethical issues and aim to ensure all participants are treated with respect and consideration during research.
How are BPS guidelines implemented?
Guidelines are implemented by ethics committees in research institutions, which use a cost-benefit approach to determine whether research proposals are ethically acceptable.
How can informed consent be dealt with?
Participants should be issued with a consent letter or form detailing all relevant information that might affect their decision to participate. Assuming the participant agrees, this is signed. For investigations involving children under 16, a signature of parental consent is required.
How can deception and protection from harm be dealt with?
At the end of a study, participants should be given a full debrief. They should be made aware of the true aims of the investigation and any details they were not supplied with during the study. Participants should also be told what their data will be used for and reminded of their right to withdraw data if they wish.
What further support might participants need after the study?
If participants experience stress or embarrassment, they may require counselling, which the researcher should provide.
