ethics

• what is the definition of ethics?


  Concerned with what is deemed acceptable in human behaviour what is good or bad right or wrong in human conduct in pursuit of goals and aims
• what are ethical issues in the design of psychological studies?


  -Informed consent

  -deception

  -Right to withdraw

  -Protection from physical and psychological harm

  -Confidentiality

  -privacy
• what does the researcher have to tell the participant in informed consent? 


  -What the study is investigating

  -what they will be required to do

  -Any benefits of participating

  -Any risks of taking part
• what is presumptive consent?


  Gain from people of a similar background to the participants in the study,if they state that they would’ve been willing to participate and is deemed the actual participants would also
• what is prior general consent?


  before participants are recruited, they are asked whether they are prepared to take part in research where they might be deceived about the true purpose
• what is retrospective consent?


  As the participants, if they consent after they’ve taken part in a study
• what is normal consent?


  Participants have consented to take part in research, but they don’t know what they will have consented to
• what are the rules for consent?

  -Parental consent must be obtained for children under 16 years old

  -Informed consent cannot be obtained from those under the influence of alcohol or drugs or mentally unfit to give consent

  -Consent given by signing consent forms
• what is deception?

  When a participant is not told the true aim of the study, so cannot give truly informed consent
• why is deception necessary?


  To increase the validity of the findings obtained because participants could change their behaviour if they knew the true aim
• when is deception unacceptable?


  If participants are likely to object or show ease once debriefed
• what is the right to withdraw?


  Participants can stop participating in a study if they feel uncomfortable in anyway

  Participants also have the right to refuse permission for the research to choose any day they produced and to witness their day to being destroyed even after the study is finished
• what is protection from harm?


  Participants should not experience negative physical or psychological effects (such as injury lowered self-esteem or embarrassment)

  The risk of harm in the study should not exceed the risk of harm in ordinary life
• what is confidentiality/anonymity?


  The communication of personal information from one person to another and the trust that the information will be protected
• why can’t it be difficult for psychologists to guarantee confidentiality?


  They are likely to want to publish the results they found
• what does anonymity do in data?


  It insures that nobody, including the researcher can identify participants in data
• when can an anonymity be a problem?


  If participants have very unusual or distinctive characters or the population of the samples drawn from is very small
• when can an anonymity be a problem?


  If participants have very unusual or distinctive characters or the population of the samples drawn from is very small
• when can an anonymity be a problem?


  If participants have very unusual or distinctive characters or the population of the samples drawn from is very small
• what is privacy?


  A persons right to control the flow of information of themselves
• what behaviour can be studied?

  Public behaviour in public spaces
• Where are participants guaranteed privacy?


  In their own homes
• what are ethical codes?


  A set of guidelines or professional people have to follow
• what is the purpose of ethical codes?


  -To tell psychologists which behaviours are not acceptable and will be punished

  -To give guidance and how to deal with ethical dilemmas
• what can the BPS do to psychologist who conduct unethical research?


  They can buy psychologists from conducting more research, but it’s not illegal matter so they can’t be sent to prison
• when were the ethical guidelines for research first published in America?

  In 1953 by the American psychological Association
• when were ethical guidelines for research first published in the UK?

  In 1985 by the British psychological Society
• when was the code of conduct including ethical guidelines to research with animals first published in the UK?


  1998 by the British psychological society
• when was the current version of the BPS ethical guidelines made?


  2009
• are the key princi for that psychologist must follow in the BPS ethical guidelines?


  -respect

  -Competence

  -Responsibility

  -Integrity
• what is respect?


  Respect for the dignity and worth all persons. It includes privacy, confidentiality and informed consent and the right to withdraw.
• what does the BPS say about deception?


  It can be included to protect the integrity of research as long as it is discussed and won’t cause upset
• what does deception prevent?


  Demand characteristics which is when a participant changes their behaviour as a consequence of knowing they are being studied
• what What do the British psychological society say about competence?


  Psychologist should maintain high standards in their professional work

  Responsibility- psychologists have responsibility to the participants ,general public and the science of psychology
• what does the British psychological society say about integrity?


  Psychologist should be honest and accurate when reporting their results and acknowledging the limitations of them

  This also includes samples of misconduct by other psychologist to the attention of the British psychological society
• what is an ethics committee?


  A group of people including lay people and experts. Ethics committee most approved studies before they take place.
• What do ethics committees do?

  -Look at proposed ethical issues

  -Look at the research plans to address the ethical issues

  -Do cost-benefit analysis
• what is the cost benefit analysis?


  The good and bad aspects of research are considered to see whether the benefits of the research outweigh the potential costs having done the research

  This can be done for:

  -The participant

  -Society

  -Certain groups in society
• how do you specifically deal with the ethical issue of informed consent?


  -Participants asked to formally indicate their agreement to participate

  -Researchers must offer the right to withdraw and it must be especially clear if participants cannot give informed consent
• what are the alternatives to informed consent?


  -Presumptive consent

  -Prior general consent

  -Retrospective consent