ethical issues

• ethical issues definition:

  problems in research arising from conflict between

  • what is necessary for our research
  • our moral obligations towards participants
• the british psychology code of conduct:

  • has its own code of ethics and it includes a set of ethical guidelines (rules to prevent ethical issues)
  • researchers have a professional duty to observe guidelines when conducting research
  • implemented by committees who use a cost-benefit approach to determine if research is ethically acceptable
• cost-benefit approach:

  determining if research is ethically acceptable by seeing if there are more benefits to the research that out-ways the overall cost of it
• pneumonic for ethical guidelines:

  can = consent

  do = debrief

  can’t = confidential

  do = deception

  with =withdraw

  participants =protection from harm and abuse
• consent (ethical guideline)

  fully informed, participants give permission to take part in reasearch. They are aware of the true aims and what is expected.

  how to overcome this:

  • retrospective consent where participants agrees to consent afterwards (agree to use results)
  • debrief
• presumptive consent definition :

  assuming people will consent as a similar group to participants have consented
• general prior consent definition:

  general consent to take party but don’t necessarily know the true aims
• debrief (ethical guidelines)

  telling the participants the true aims and what was found in the results.

  Could also offer support after results
• confidentiality (ethical guidelines)

  keeping the personal information of participants private e.g with initials, numbers and a pseudonym (fake name)

  how to overcome:

  • could debrief and offer support with a fake name ect
• deception (ethical guidelines)

  participants have been purposely misled or lied to for the research

  how to overcome:

  • debrief after and tell true aims as well as offering support
  • retrospective consent
• withdraw (ethical guidelines)

  participants leave/stop the research at anytime and remove the data

  how to overcome:

  • tell participants they can withdraw during gaining consent (consent form)
  • remind them during each stage of research
• protection from harm and abuse (ethical guidelines)

  participants are kept safe during and after research

  how to overcome:

  • reminder that they can withdraw
  • can signpost to further support (if they are harmed)
  • ensure confidentiality- keep private to prevent stress