ethical uses and ways of dealing with them

• Ethical issues

  • Ethical issues = when a conflict exists between the rights of pps and the aims of the research
  • BPS code of conduct = a quasi-legal document to protect participants based on 4 principles (respect, competence, responsibility, integrity)
  • Ethics committee weigh Up costs and benefits before deciding whether a study should go ahead
  • Types of ethical issues:
  • Informed consent
  • Deception
  • Protection from harm
  • Privacy and confidentiality
• informed consent

  • Issue = pps should be aware of the aims of the study and be able to make a judgement about whether to take part in not
  • How to deal with:
  • Get permission = eg sign consent form (where appropriate seek parental consent)
  • Alternative forms of consent:
  • Presumptive = ask similar group
  • Prior general = agree to be deceived
  • Retrospective = get consent after the study
• deception

  • Issue = deliberately  misleading or withholding information so consent is not informed (mild deception is often okay)
  • How to deal with:
  • At the end of a study, participants should be given a debrief where they are advised of:
  • true aims of the investigation.
  • details that were not given during the study, (eg existence of other groups or conditions)
  • What their data will be used for.
  • Their right to withhold data.
• protection from harm

  • Issue = participants should be at no more risk than they would be in everyday life
  • How to deal with:
  • Should be given the right to withdraw at each stage of the research process
  • Should be reassured that their behaviour was typical/normal during the debriefing
  • Researcher should provide counselling if participants have been eg distressed
• Privacy and confidentiality

  • Issue = we gave the right to control information about ourselves - if this is invaded, confidentiality should be respected
  • How to deal with:
  • If personal details are held these must be protected (legal requirement) - usually no personal details are recorded
  • Researchers refer to pps using numbers, initials, false names
  • pps personal data cannot be shared with other researchers