Ethics

• what are ethics?


  the desirable standards of behaviour we use towards others
• what deoes it mean to behave ethically?

  if we behave ethically, then we can treat others with respect and concern for their wellbeing. we don't take advantage of their trust or lack of knowledge
• who do ethics apply to?

  humans and animals
• what is an ethical issue?

  where there is potential for participants to be harmed in some way during the research
• what is the role of BPS?

  to encourage researchers to follow BPS guidelines and ensure participants don't feel harmed in any way during the research
• what does BPS stand for?

  British Psychological Society
• Who must follow BPS guidelines?

  all psychologists and psychology students
• what is the acronym for ethical issues?

  CDRIP
• what does the C stand for in CDRIP?


  Confidentiality
• explain the ethical issues confidentiality


  confidentiality means the participant's results, data and personal information should be kept private and anonymous so that they are unidentifiable. They should be told this in the brief and the debrief.
• how can confidentiality breaches be fixed?

  participants should be labelled as letters/numbers or be given a fake name (pseudonym)
• what does the D stand for in CDRIP?

  deception
• explain the ethical issue deception

  deception means that participants should not be deliberately mislead, deception should only be used in "exceptional circumstances" when revealing the true aim of the study may affect the outcome
• how can deception be fixed?

  participants should be debriefed and told the true aim ASAP
• what does the R stand for in CDRIP?

  right to withdraw
• explain the ethical issue right to withdraw

  right to withdraw should be given to participants before, during and after the study. They should never feel pressured to continue and can withdraw themselves and their data at any point.
• how can right to withdraw be dealt with?

  in the debrief, participants should be asked if they would like to withdraw themselves and their data
• what does the I stand for in CDRIP?

  informed consent
• explain the ethical issue informed consent

  informed consent can only be given if the participants fully understand what they are agreeing to
• can children under 16 provide informed consent?

  no, a parent/ guardian must provide consent as they are considered minors so therefore cannot fully understand what they are agreeing to
• can adults with impairments provide informed consent?

  no, consent for adults should be given by another adult who knows the person's opinions and whether they would want to take part
• how can informed consent be fixed?

  participants should be asked in the debrief if they give permission to take part and use their results
• what does the P stand for in CDRIP?

  protection from harm
• explain the ethical issue protection from harm


  protection from harm should be provided to participants concerning both physical and psychological harm.
• how can protection from harm be fixed?


  if unexpected harm occurs, the researcher should attempt to rectify the damage eg: referral to professionals
• when is the brief given?


  before the study
• what does the brief do?


  gives participants brief details about what the study is about and addresses all 5 ethical issues
• should you reveal your hypothesis in the brief? why/why not?


  no, because it can cause the participants to change their behaviour to purposefully or subconsciously advantage or disadvantage the researcher's study
• what should be included in your brief?


  introduce yourself

  give brief details about the study without revealing your hypothesis

  assure participants of confidentiality

  explain they won't come to any harm

  tell them of their right to withdraw

  ask for their consent to take part and sign a consent form
• what should be written on a consent form?

  details of relevant information that might affect their decision to participate. if the participant agrees to this, they must sign
• what is presumptive consent?


  rather than getting consent from the participants themselves, a similar group of people are asked if the study is acceptable. if the group agrees, then the consent of the original participants is presumed
• why should the brief be standardised?

  so that no participant is given an advantage/disadvantage in the study and to ensure no extra information is given out that can cause the participants to alter their behaviour
• why is it important that the standardised instructions are standardised?


  you must ensure that all participants who take part in your research are given the same clear, verbal or written instructions. they must be the same so that no participant has an unfair advantage/ disadvantage, this eliminates biased and subjectivity
• what format should standardised instructions be written in?

  they could be written in stages or in bullet point format
• what tense should standardised instructions be written in?

  use the present tense as though you are talking to the participants
• give an example of a standardised instruction

  eg: "You will now be asked to complete the following questionnaire"
• when is the debrief given?

  after the study
• what should the debrief address?

  any of the 5 ethical issues that have been breached
• what should be included in your debrief?


  thank the participant for taking part in your study

  reveal your hypothesis

  reveal the other condition if the participant has only taken part in one condition

  ask the participant if they wish to withdraw their results or do they give permission for their results to be used in the study

  assure the participant that their results will be kept confidential

  ask the participant if they have any further questions
• who is the board made up of? (the one who does the cost-benefit analysis)

  both experts and ordinary people