ethical issues and ways of dealing with them

• ethical issues


  when a conflict exists between the rights of participants in research studies
• informed consent


  making participants aware of the aim, the procedures, their rights and what their data will be used for
• deception


  means deliberately misleading or withholding information from participants at any stage of the investigation
• protection from harm


  participants should not be placed at any more risk than they would be in their daily lives and should be protected
• privacy and confidentiality


  participants have the right to control information about themselves
• BPS code of ethics 


  a legal document produced by the British Psychological Society that instructs psychologists in the UK about what behaviour is and is not acceptable
• dealing with informed consent

  • should be issued with a consent letter
  • under 16- signature and permission from parents
• dealing with deception and protection from harm debriefing

  • end of study- participants should be given full debrief
  • participants should be made aware of the true aims
  • participants should be told what their data will be used for
• dealing with confidentiality

  • if personal details are held these must be protected
  • maintaining anonymity