Ethics

• Ethical guidelines are written in a code of conduct stating how psychological research should be carried out.
• Informed consent is gained before a study begins, asking people if they are happy to participate.
• The purpose of a code of conduct in psychological research is to ensure ethical standards are followed, protect the rights and well-being of participants, and maintain the integrity of the research process.
• Informed consent, confidentiality, debriefing, and protection from harm are examples of ethical guidelines in psychological research.
• Informed consent in psychological research is the process of obtaining voluntary and knowledgeable agreement from participants before they take part in a study, ensuring they are aware of the purpose, procedures, risks, and benefits involved.
• Deception is an ethical guideline to ensure participants are fully aware of the intention of the study. However many studies will deceive participants from the true aim.
• Right to withdraw is given to participants before the procedure begins.
• Right to withdraw gives participants the right to leave at any time, with no further consequences.
• Confidentiality ensures participants have the right to remain anonymous.
• Confidentiality ensures all participant details are kept private and not published in the final report.
• Invasion of privacy ensures that participants have the right to keep personal information private. It also prevents researchers from delving too much into their private life.
• Protection from harm is the most important ethical guideline.
• Protection from harm ensures that participants are free from physical and mental stress or harm.
• Invasion of privacy is considered an important ethical guideline in research to protect the rights and autonomy of individuals and to maintain trust and confidentiality in the research process.
• Protection from harm is considered the most important ethical guideline because it ensures the well-being and safety of individuals, preventing unnecessary suffering.
• Debriefing is essential at the end of research to ensure participants are happy to leave the study, and are in the same state they entered in.
• During a debriefing participants are given the opportunity to ask questions, seek clarification or support.
• The purpose of debriefing at the end of a research study is to provide participants with information about the study's objectives, procedures, and any potential risks or benefits they may have experienced.
• Ethics refers to the correct rules of conduct necessary when carrying out research. Researchers have a moral responsibility to protect research participants from harm.
• The Code of Ethics is designed to guide all members of the British Psychological Society in their day-to-day professional conduct.
• The British Psychological Society set out the code of conduct for professional psychologists to follow during research.
• Ethical guidelines can raise a cost-benefit analysis, so do the ends justify the means?
• Studies must undergo an extensive review by an institutional review board (US) or ethics committee (UK) before they are implemented.
• Committees review proposals to assess if the potential benefits of the research are justifiable in light of the possible risk of physical or psychological harm.
• Researchers should, so far as is practicable, explain what is involved in advance and obtain the informed consent of participants.
• An adult (18ys +) capable of giving permission to participate in a study can provide consent. Parents/ legal guardians of minors can also provide consent to allow their children to participate in a study.
• Participants must be told if they have been deceived and given reasons why. They must be asked if they have any questions, which should be answered honestly and as fully as possible.
• The risk of harm must be no greater than in ordinary life, i.e., participants should not be exposed to risks greater than or additional to those encountered in their normal life.
• The age requirement for providing consent to participate in a study varies depending on the country and the nature of the study, but it is typically 18 years old or older.
• Sometimes deception is necessary in order to avoid demand characteristics.