Ethics

• Protection of Participants


  • Researchers must ensure participants in research will not be caused distress. They must be protected from physical and mental harm (embarrassment, stress, offend, frighten or pressure).
  • An important point is the right to withdrawal, which helps reduce potential harm.
  • The researcher must also ensure that if vulnerable groups are to be used (elderly, disabled, children) they must receive special care.
• Informed Consent


  • Before the study begins the researcher must outline what the research is about. An adult (18+) can provide consent for themselves, however the parents/legal guardians of minors must give consent for them to participate in the study.
  • Informed consent must be informed, voluntary and rational. Participants must be given relevant details to make an informed decision, including the purpose, procedures, risks and benefits. Consent must be given voluntarily without undue coercion. And participants must have the capacity to rationally weigh the decision.
• Deception


  • Deception involves purposely misleading participants or withholding information that could influence their participation decision. If there is any deception then this will also mean they have not given informed consent.
  • Types of Deception: deliberate misleading, deceptive instructions, deception by omission (failure to disclose full information).
  • The researcher should avoid deceiving participants about the nature of the research unless there is no alternative; this is sometimes necessary to avoid demand characteristics.
• Privacy & Confidentiality


  • Protecting participant confidentiality is an ethical imperative that demonstrates respect, ensures honest participation, and prevents harms like embarrassment or legal issues.
  • Participants and the data gained from them must be kept anonymous unless they give their full consent. No names must be use in a lab report.
  • Researchers must be clearly describe to participants the limits of confidentiality and methods to protect privacy. Confidentiality is enriched in law under the data protection act of 2018.
• BPS - British Psychological Society


  • It's the responsibility of ethics committees to weigh up the costs and benefits of research proposals to deicide whether the research study should go ahead. Benefits must include the value or ground-breaking nature of the research. Possible costs may be the damaging effect on the individual participants or to the reputation of psychology.