Ethics Flashcards
(15 cards)
Ethics + BPS
-Practicing psychologists are expected to design and conduct experiments in line with guidelines set out by the BPS (British psychological society) in the UK or the APA in the USA
Informed consent
-Before participants agree to take part in a study, they must be made aware of the aims and consequences of the study (e.g risk of harm and potential benefits of research
-Consent can be given by parents/guardians if the participant is unable to give informed consent (e.g children or mentally incapable)
Informed consent is linked to the principle that we should not deceive participants, however…
-Informed consent is linked to the principle of not deceiving participants, However deception is used in many studies as a strategy to avoid demand characteristics
Right to withdraw
-Before the study, participants should be aware that they are able to withdraw from the study at any stage without any adverse consequences (e.g not being paid for their time)
-This also includes the withdrawal of data collected from them
Confidentiality
-The personal data of participants should be kept securely and not shared by the researcher
-When the research is published, the identity of the participant should not be revealed in the publication
-However there are some exceptions to this such as if the participant or others are in danger
Debriefing
-After the data is collected, researchers should offer the participants a debrief; this involves informing them of all the information that has been withheld from them and the purpose of the research (e.g the existence of other participants or if they are in the group with the placebo or not)
-The researcher can also check for psychological or physical harm and offer assistance
Protection from harm
-Researchers are responsible for designing an experiment that does not risk the psychological and physiological well being of participants
Disadvantage of having to give informed consent
-Telling the participants the research aim before the study as a part of informed consent can lead to demand characteristics where the participants may alter their behavior to match what they think the researcher wants to see; lowering the internal validity of the research
Alternatives to informed consent (prior general consent)
-Prior general consent is when participants agree to a long list of potential features of a research study without knowing which ones will be part of the study they are in
Alternatives to informed consent (retroactive consent)
-Retroactive consent is when the researcher asks for consent after the participant has taken part in the research
-If the participant does not give consent, their data will be destroyed
Alternatives to informed consent (presumptive consent)
-Presumptive consent is when the researcher asks a group, similar to the sample group, whether they would like to take part in the study; if the group agrees to take part, then the researcher assumes that the sample group would also agree to take part
Cost-benefit analysis
-If the research requires deception or risks harm to participants, then the researcher can carry out a cost-benefit analysis
-This involves assessing the potential harm to participants, compared to the potential benefits of the research to society
Who often makes the final decision of whether the research should be carried forward
-An ethics committee often makes the final decision of whether the research carries on or not
-The ethics committee uses a cost-benefit analysis during their decision-making process
Disadvantage of cost-benefit analysis
-The real potential costs or benefits of a study are not known until years after the research is published, therefore it is difficult to conduct a cost-benefit analysis
What should happen after the data is collected
-If deception is used the researcher should inform the participant during the debrief
-The researcher should also remind the participants of their right to withdraw data and assure them that their data will be kept confidential
-The researcher should also debrief them on the aim and research purpose of the study
