Ethical Issues

Question 1

Five main Ethical Issues

Answer 1

Informed Consent
Deception
Protection From Harm
Right To Withdraw
Privacy and Confidentiality

Question 2

Informed Consent

Answer 2

Making participants aware of the aims and procedures of the study and their rights
Can make an informed decision whether they would like to participate

Question 3

Deception

Answer 3

Deliberately misleading or withholding information from participants

Question 4

Protection From Harm

Answer 4

Protecting participants from any physical or psychological harm

Question 5

Right to Withdraw

Answer 5

Participants have a right to withdraw themselves and their data from the study

Question 6

Privacy and Confidentiality

Answer 6

Participants have a right to have any personal data protected under the data protection act

Question 7

British Psychological Society Code of Conduct

Answer 7

A set of ethical guidelines implemented by the ethics committee to determine whether particular research proposals are ethically acceptable

Question 8

Dealing with Informed Consent

Answer 8

During the briefing participant should be given a consent letter detailing all the information that might influence their decision to participate (may lead to demand characteristics)

Question 9

Alternative ways of obtaining consent

Answer 9

Presumptive Consent
Prior General Consent
Retrospective Consent

Question 10

Presumptive Consent

Answer 10

Instead of asking the participants a similar group of people asked if they think the research is acceptable and consent is presumed

Question 11

Prior General Consent

Answer 11

When they sign up to a research company, participants give their consent to take part in a number of studies, including one that will involve deception

Question 12

Retrospective Consent

Answer 12

Participants are asked for their consent during the debrief of the study, although they may have already been deceived or were unaware they were taking part in a study

Question 13

Dealing with Deception and Protection From Harm

Answer 13

Participants should be given a full debriefing at the end of the study
Participants should be reassured their behaviour was normal
Counselling should be offered to all participants after the study

Question 14

Dealing with Confidentiality

Answer 14

Maintain anonymity when writing up or reading out the study results