ethics

• Ethics/ethical guidelines


  Practicing psychologists are expected to design and conduct research that follows a set of guidelines published by the BPS (British Psychological society) in the UK and APA (American psychological association) in the USA.
• The role of the British Psychological Society's code of ethics

  'design to inform and assist our members in the practical and professional application of psychology, from research and teaching to clinical practice'
• The guidelines are not 'rules or laws', but a set of professional advice that requires psychologists to exercise professional judgement in complex research situations.
• Ethical guidelines: informed consent


  Consent is not valid if participants are not informed of what they are agreeing to. So before the research, participants should be made aware of the aims, and consequences of taking part in the research. Consent may be gained from parent or guardian if the participant is unable to give informed consent themselves.
• Ethical guidelines: right to withdraw


  Participants should be told they can withdraw from the study at any stage with no adverse consequences. This includes withdrawing data collected from them.
• Ethical guidelines: protection from harm


  The researcher is responsible for designing research that does not risk the psychological well-being, physical health, personal values and dignity of the participants.
• Ethical guidelines: confidentiality


  Participants' personal data should be kept securely by the researcher, and not shared. When the research is published it should not include the identity of participants or information that could reveal the identity of participants. However, there are exceptions, such as finding out the participants or others are in danger.
• Ethical guidelines: debriefing


  After the data collection is completed the researcher should offer a debriefing, this would reveal any information withheld, such as the existence of other groups (e.g. placebo and drug). The researcher can also check for any psychological or physical harm and offer assistance.
• Dealing with ethical issues - informed consent


  Revealing the true aims of a study when asking for informed consent can lead to demand characteristics which reduces internal validity of the research - can be avoided by using an alternative to informed consent.
• Dealing with ethical issues - different ways of consent

  Prior general consent - participants agree to a long list of potential features of a research study, not knowing which aspects will be party of the study they are in.

  Retroactive consent - the researcher asks for consent after the participant has taken part in the study, if the participant does not agree to take part their data is destroyed.

  Presumptive consent - the researcher asks a group similar to the sample if they would agree to take part in the research, if they do the researcher assumes the participants would also agree.
• Dealing with ethical issues - deception


  If the research design requires deception or risk harm to participants the researcher can perform a cost-benefit analysis this is assessing the potential harm to participants and comparing this to the potential benefits of the research to society.

  The final decision on if the research should be carried out is often not in the hands of the researcher but by an ethics committee. However, it is difficult to conduct a cost-benefit analysis.
• Dealing with ethical issues - debriefing


  If deception was used on participants it it important to reveal this in the debriefing. This is an exit conversation between the participant and the researcher. This also explains the aim of the study ad the researcher should check if no harm was caused and remind them they can withdraw their data and ensure confidentiality of findings.
• Ethical guidelines

  P - Privacy

  C - Confidentiality

  D - Deception/debrief

  R - Right to withdraw

  I - Informed consent

  P - Protection from harm