ethics

• bps is the ethical guidelines used in the uk
• informed consent


  ensuring that people agree to take part in the research, not valid if they aren’t informed of what they’re agreeing to
• informed consent

  if deception is involved, we are unable to get informed consent to avoid demand characteristics
• right to withdraw 


  participants should be able to withdraw from the study at any stage with no consequences, this includes the withdrawal of data collected, this right must be made clear
• protection from harm


  participants should be protected from any psychological and physical harm and their dignity should be protected also
• confidentiality 


  this is the right of privacy, where personal data is kept securely by the researcher and research doesn’t include the identity of participants
• debriefing


  reveal any information withheld and checks for any psychological and physical harm
• dealing w informed consent

  revealing the true aims will lead to demand characteristics which reduces the internal validity
• to avoid demand characteristics with informed consent

  we can use alternatives to gaining consent:

  • prior general consent
  • retrospective consent
  • presumptive consent
• prior general consent


  ppts agree to long list of potential features of the study, not knowing what aspects of the study they will be apart of, will agree to number of studies, including ones involving deception
• retrospective consent


  asked for consent after taking part in the study, if they disagree, data is destroyed
• presumptive consent


  researcher asks group similar to sample if the study is acceptable, if this group agrees, it is assumed that the sample will also consent
• dealing w deception

  • perform cost-benefit analysis
  • debriefing
• cost-benefit analysis


  assessing potential harm to participants and compare to benefits of research to society
• ethics committee


  decide whether research is carried out and use cost benefit analysis

  however, the true value of a study isn’t known until years later, meaning it is difficult to conduct a cost benefit analysis
• debriefing 


  explains the aims of the study and the existence of other groups, the debriefing also checks that no harm was caused, the right to withdraw is reminded and confidentiality is ensured
• dealing w confidentiality 


  simply record no personal details, maintaining anonymity, in case studies researchers often refer to the individual by their initials (e.g case of HM)