ethics

• what is a pilot study? 


  a pilot study is a small scale trial run of the actual investigation, this involves a handful of participants rather than the total number, to ensure the investigation runs smoothly. these are not restricted to experimental studies.
• what is a peer review? 


  these are all aspect of the written investigation being scrutinised by a small group of usually two or three experts (peers) in the particular field. these experts should conduct an objective review and be unknown to the author or researcher.
• what is a main aim of a peer review? 


  to allocate research findings. independent peer evaluation also takes place to decide whether or not to be awarded for a proposed research project
• what is a main aim of a peer review? 


  to validate the quality and relevance of the research. all elements of the research is assessed for quality and accuracy.
• what is a main aim of a peer review? 


  to suggest amendments or improvements. reviewers may suggest minor revisions of the work and thereby improve the report. in extreme circumstances, they may conclude that the work is innappropriate for publication and should be withdrawn
• what are ethics? 


  ethical issues arise is psychology when there is a conflict between the rights of the participants and the needs of the researcher to conduct the research that makes a meaningful contribution to society.
• what is informed consent? 


  this involves making the participants aware of the procedures and the aims of the research and also informing them of their rights to withdraw.
• why might informed consent be a problem in covert observations? 


  informed consent may be a problem in covert observations since participants may have no opportunities to consent
• why might informed consent be a problem from the viewpoint of the researcher?


  from the viewpoint of the researcher, telling the participants the purpose of the research may render it meaningless, as the participants will no longer act as they would in the usual course of their lives.
• what is deception? 


  this may involve simply withholding information from participants or may involve being deliberately dishonest.
• when might deception be justified? 


  deception can be justified if it does not cause undue distress.
• what should you do after the experiment if you have deceived your participants? 


  it is important to do a full debrief at the end of the study so the participants are aware of the aims and can with-hold data of they wish.
• what is protection of harm? 


  the safety of participants who have the right to be protected from physical or psychological harm.
• what does protection of harm include? 


  this includes not causing them to feel embarrassed or inadequate as they may have done in the research on conformity by Asch.
• what is privacy and confidentiality? 


  these are 2 other issues linked. if personal details are held, they must be protected.

  if possible it is better to have no such details, that is to maintain anonymity