Ethics Flashcards
Why were Ethical Guidelines and Standards set up and by who?
Set up by the British Psychological Society (BPS)
To ensure the protection of ppts in research
State the 5 types of consent:
- Informed consent
- Deception
- Protection from harm
- Confidentiality
- Right to withdraw
What is informed consent?
Ensuring ppts have been well informed about the research and given consent on the basis of reasonable knowledge of what the research entails.
How to deal with informed consent?
- Ppt given consent form detailing all relevent information about the experiment
- Should be informed abt all aspects of the study
- Should be asked if they wish to take part
- If ppt is under 18, consent should be gained from parent/guardian
- Presumtive consent - researcher asks a similar group of ppl to the sample if they would take part after explaining the full aim and method -> if this group consents, we presume the same about our ppts.
What is presumptive consent:
researcher asks a similar group of ppl to the sample if they would take part after explaining the full aim and method -> if this group consents, we presume the same about our ppts.
What is deception?
When ppts have been deliberately misled about aspects of the method + experiment.
How to deal with deception?
After the study, researcher should debrief the ppt:
- Outline true aim of study and tasks that all conditions took part in
- Ppt given another opportunity to withdraw if they are not satisfied with the reason for deception
- If they withdraw, researcher must delete all ppt info and data
What is protection from harm?
- Ppts should leave the exp in the same state they arrived in.
- No physical or psychological harm should befall on ppt during the research
How to deal with protection from harm?
- If harm is inflicted unknowingly, ppt should be offered psychological help during the debrief
- If ppt takes on this offer, researcher must follow up on them to ensure they have recovered any harm caused by the method of this experiment
What is confidentiality?
Ppt’s personal details (including the nature of their performance in the experiment) should be kept confidential and cannot be released to the public under the name of the ppt
How to deal with confidentiality?
- Release any data under an allias (fake name) or initials instead of ppt’s full name
- Number the ppts in experiment and refer to them as these numbers, e.gg ppt 4
What is the right to withdraw?
- All ppts have the right to withdraw from the study whenever they wish
- Cannot be coerced or manipulated to carry on taking part in the experiment
How to deal with right to withdraw?
- Remind the ppt before, during and after the exp that they have the right to withdraw whenever they like
- If ppts would like to withdraw, the researcher should let them without any insistence on their continuation
- Delete/ get rid of ppt data after they leave
What should a consent form consist of?
- Dear ppt/ parent or guardian
- inform ppts of the aim of the study (apply the aim of R study)
- Inform ppts about what the study requires of them, e.g. tasks, timings, etc. (talk about the tasks ppts would go through)
- Inform ppts of ethical issues such as confidentiality (data kept confidential), right to withdraw (ppt allowed to withdraw from exp at any time + data will be deleted) - if applicable: harm -> “______ may be distressing to you, you will be offered support at the end of the study should you need it”
- Give ppts opportunity to contact you if they have any questions (“Please contact me on following number… if you have any questions”)
- If you consent to participating in the experiment, please sign here: _______
What should a debrief form consist of?
- Thank ppt for participating in research
- Inform ppt of the actual aim of the study
- Inform ppt about what the actual task was + tell them what happened in all conditions (not just their condition)
- Remind ppts of the right to withdraw and confidentiality
- Remind them of available support if ‘harm’ is applicable
- Provide opportunity to ask questions
- Offer thanks
