Ethics

Question 1

Tell me about British Psychological Society?

Answer 1

British Psychological Society (BPS) 

Abiding by professional standards of conduct

Concerned with safe practice, doing the right thing

What you can and can’t do with participants

Do important findings justify unethical research?

Question 2

Look

Answer 2

Question 3

What is the purpose of an ethics committee?

Answer 3

Psychologists now must justify their proposed research to an ethics committee before they are allowed to proceed

In the UK, the British Psychological Society has determined ethical standards to protect anyone participating in psychological research

APS = American psychological society
BPS = British psychological society

Question 4

Tell me about consent?

Answer 4

Participants should give informed consent 

Parental consent for child participants

Participants usually sign a form

Question 5

Tell me about deception?

Answer 5

Not telling participants the true purpose

Should be avoided

Should be strong justification for doing this

Question 6

When is deception reasonable?

Answer 6

If you are going to deceive participants, it is important that the ends justify the means. The research must be important, and the results should benefit society in some way.

An ethical committee will usually decide this.

Question 7

Tell me about debriefing?

Answer 7

The experiment should be explained at the end 

The researchers contact details should be given to the participants

Question 8

Tell me about right to withdraw?

Answer 8

Participants should have the right to remove themselves from the experiment at any time 

Can be done before, during or after (ANY TIME).

Question 9

Tell me about confidentiality?

Answer 9

Participants details to remain confidential 

Should adhere to Data Protection Act

If it cannot be guaranteed, participants should be informed of this.

Question 10

Tell me about protection of participants?

Answer 10

Protected from physical or mental harm.

Risk factors should be checked (medical conditions etc.)

Risk should be no more than could be expected in day-to-day life 

Opportunity to contact the researcher at a later date if distress occurs

Question 11

What is presumptive consent?

Answer 11

The researcher asks people from a similar population as the sample if they think that the study is acceptable. If they do, then it can go ahead. (Presuming consent)

Question 12

What is prior general consent?

Answer 12

People who might be used as participants are told that sometimes participants are misinformed about the true purpose of a study.

Only those that agree this is acceptable would be selected as participants for this type of study. (Consent is BEFORE and not specific)

Question 13

What is retrospective consent?

Answer 13

Get consent after the study.

Question 14

How can we deal with consent issues?

Answer 14

Presumptive consent

Prior general consent

Retrospective

Question 15

How can we deal with the issue of deception?

Answer 15

Debriefing

If psychologists are to deceive participants, then it is essential to debrief in order to ensure that participants have no lasting psychological trauma. Milgram did this extensively for his participants.

Right to withdraw

P’s must be told they have the right to withdraw at ANY TIME (even after).They should be given contact details for the experimenter so that if they change their mind in the future their data can be destroyed.

Question 16

How can we protect our participants?

Answer 16

Anticipating and stopping the study

If a researcher suspects emotional or physical harm is being put onto the participant then they must stop the experiment immediately.

Debriefing

If participants have been subjected to any kind of harm, then it is essential that psychologists refer participants to any clinical psychologists or doctors if further assistance is required for the participant.

Question 17

How else can we get information from our participants?

Answer 17

QUESTIONNAIRES

This is a possible alternative when studying a sensitive topic. In experiments, participants may feel they cannot withdraw, whereas they can miss out questions they do not want to answer in questionnaires.