Ethical issues

• Ethical issue

  these arise when there is conflict between the rights of the participant and the goal to produce authentic results
• BPS code of ethics


  A document which instructs psychologists what is and isn't acceptable when dealing with human participants in research
• consent form

  • procedural details
  • ethical issues
• procedural details

  • purpose of study
  • outline of study
  • informs participants of their right to withdraw
  • informs that they're under medical supervision and protection from harm
• when is deception necessary and acceptable?

  • participant's natural behaviour is recorded
  • the participant is not subjected to harm
• cost-benefit analysis

  • identifies whether the research proposals are ethically acceptable
  • weighs up the costs (participant harm) against the benefits (value of research improving lives)
• ethical issues in psychological studies

  • informed consent
  • deception
  • protection from harm
  • privacy and confidentiality
• informed consent

  participants should know what the study entails and their rights before consenting to participate
• ways of dealing with informed consent

  • consent form
  • parental consent for those under 16
  • presumptive consent
  • prior general consent
  • retrospective consent
• deception


  • deliberately withholding info or misleading participants
  • participants who are deceived cannot give informed consent
• ways of dealing with deception

  • approved by ethics committee
  • fully debrief participants after study: tell them true nature of the study, what their data will be used for and the chance to withdraw results
• protection from harm

  participants should be protected from physical and psychological harm
• ways of dealing with protection from harm

  • reassure participants that their behaviour was normal
  • provide counselling if necessary
• Privacy and Confidentiality

  Protect the privacy of the participant, generally by keeping all responses confidential.
• ways of dealing with privacy and confidentiality

  • keep participants anonymous
  • do not study without informed consent