Ethics Flashcards
(21 cards)
What are some ethical issues
Deception
Confidentiality
Protection from harm
Informed content
Right to withdraw
Debrief
What is deception
Researchers are not allowed to deliberately mislead or withhold information from participants
about any aspect of the study
Deception can
sometimes be justified if the procedure will not cause participants undue distress
How do you avoid deception
Give participants as much information as possible in the standardised instructions and consent form and
make sure that all details of the study are provided in the debrief
What is confidentiality
Under the data protection act participants have the right to have any personal data protected.
This means that any information obtained about a participant during an
investigation is confidential
How do u ensure confidentiality
Researcher must ensure that all personal details are protected and are not even recorded.
In the report write up the researcher should not name participants but instead should refer to them as Participant 1, or use initials
What is protection from harm
Researcher’s responsibility to ensure that they protect
all participants from physical and psychological harm during the investigation including embarrassment and stress
How do you ensure protection from harm
Researcher must make sure that their procedure is safe and that
participants will not suffer any physical or psychological harm from their participation
Ensure that participants are aware of their right to withdraw so that they can stop their
participation if they feel that they are experiencing any harm
What is informed consent
investigator should inform participants about all aspects of
the study including: aims and procedures of the study, participants’ rights
How can researchers ensure informed consent
consent form must be completed by all participants. The consent form must include information about all relevant detail that might affect their decision to part including: aims and procedures of the study, participants’ rights (including their right to withdraw), and what their data will be
used for
What are the other forms of consent
Presumptive consent
Prior general consent
Retrospective consent
If the researcher obtains consent in any of these ways it is essential that they then obtain informed consent in the debrief
What is Presumptive consent
Asking people who are similar to the participants whether they would consider the research to be acceptable enough to take part in themselves
If so its assumed that the others wld also take part
What is Prior general consent
Asking people who volunteer to take part in research general questions before they
are used such as ‘Would you mind taking part in a study that involved you being misinformed about its true nature?’ ‘Would you mind being in a study that caused you stress?’
If they say they don’t mind then they could
be chosen to take part later.
What is Retrospective consent
Giving participants a full debriefing after the study and asking them to consent to
their results being used now that they know all aspects of the study
If they do not consent, they have the opportunity to withdraw their data from the investigation.
What is the right to withdraw
From the beginning of the study, investigators should make it
clear to participants that they can stop their participation in the study at any point
This includes telling the researcher that they do not want their results to be used once they have completed the research
How do you ensure ppts have the right to withdraw
Ensure that the participants are reminded of their right to withdraw in the
consent form, standardised instructions and the debrief, and ensure that the procedure does not make participants feel that they are forced to continue.
If participants are under 16 parents/guardians should also
be informed about the right to withdraw
What is debriefing
Following any study participants should be debriefed.
It should be used to complete the participants’ understanding of the study, it allows the researcher to monitor
any unforeseen negative effects of the study, it should be used to find out if anything has upset or disturbed the participant.
The participant should leave the study in the same state as they entered it
How do u ensure ppts are fully debriefed
Fully debrief each participant after the study and allow participants to ask
questions/clarify their participation
How do you write a consent form
Shld include a range of both procedural and ethical points.
Include:
- ‘‘I have read and understood the above and as an informed participant of this study.
I understand’’
- “I give my consent to participate in this study”
- Date
- Signature
What are procedural points in a consent form
- Include exactly what participants are expected to do (including a description of the task).
- Check participants understanding of what they are being asked to do
- Ask if they have any questions?
What are ethical points in a consent form
hical - Inform participants that:
* There is no pressure to consent
* They can withdraw at any time
* They can withdraw their data from the study
* Their data will be kept confidential and anonymous as they will not be named
* They will receive a full debrief at the end of the study
* Ask participants if they consent to taking part in the study and leave a space for them to sign and
date.
What should you include in a debrief
- Thank the participants for taking part
- Include the full aim of the study
- Explain what participants in both conditions of the study were expected to do
- Remind participants that they can still withdraw from the investigation and that their
information remains confidential - Ask participants if they still consent to their results being used for the study
