Scientific Processes: ETHICS Flashcards
What is meant by the term ‘ethics’?
Ethics refers to the CORRECT RULES OF CONDUCT NECERSARRY WHEN CARRYING OUT RESEARCH, as researchers have a moral responsibility to protect research participants from harm.
-Investigation psychologists need to remember that they have a DUTY to respect the rights and dignity of research participants. This means that they must abide by certain moral principles and rules of conduct.
In Britain, who are the ethical guidelines proposed by?
ii) What is the PURPOSE of these codes of conduct?
-In Britain, ethical guidelines for research are published by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
The purpose of these codes of conduct is to protect research participants, the reputation of psychology, and psychologists themselves.
What is the PURPOSE of an Ethics Committee?
Ethics Committee –> Every institution in which research takes place must have SOME KIND OF ETHICS COMMITTEE which APPROVES all research before it happens.
-They are given all the relevant documentation (e.g. consent forms, debrief forms, plan of research, materials to be used).
-They consider ALL THE ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS and HOW THE RESEARCHER PLANS TO DEAL WITH THEM.
-They use the BPS guidelines and carry out a COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS to DETERMINE WHETHER TO APPROVE THE RESEARCH.
The committee is made up of a range of members who have broad experience of psychological research and also includes two external members (one from another department in the university and one who is a lay person).
What is a ‘lay person’?
A lay member means ANY PERSON APPOINTED OR ELECTED TO A UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE OR BOARD who is neither a registered student nor a member of staff at the university.
-They offer a NEUTRAL, OUTSIDER VIEWPOINT ON THE RESEARCH.
What are the SIX ethical guidelines for psychological research?
-Protection from Harm
-Informed Consent
-Debrief
-Confidentiality
-Right to Withdraw
-Deception
What does the ‘Protection from Harm’ guideline outline?
Psychologists have a RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THEIR PARTICIPANTS FROM PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL HARM (e.g. embarrassment, humiliation, stress or loss of self-esteem).
-Participants should be EXPOSED TO NO MORE RISK than they would expect to experience in everyday life.
-Risk should be MINIMAL and POSE NO LONG TERM HARM OR PROLONGED PERSONAL DISCOMFORT.
-Importantly, PARTICIPANTS SHOULD LEAVE A STUDY IN THE SAME STATE THAT THEY ENTERED.
-Why can ensuring participants are protected from harm be difficult for researchers?
-What are researchers sometimes unable to establish before a study has been conducted?
-This can be difficult for researchers as they are often unable to establish whether participants are genuinely comfortable with partaking in the study –> Ppts may agree to take part due to feeling under pressure.
-Signs of psychological harm might also not be noticeable at the end of the study, meaning researchers are unable to soothe participants’ distress.
What does the ‘Informed Consent’ guideline outline?
-Giving consent means agreeing to something – a participant should always agree to take part in a study.
-When a participant is told the aims of research, as well as the nature of the procedure and the purpose of their role and agrees to it, this is known as informed consent i.e. the participant is fully informed before consenting.
This can be VERBAL or WRITTEN.
In order to gain informed consent, what are some of the things that the researcher should explain to participants?
-The AIM(S) OF THE PROJECT.
-The TYPE(S) OF DATA TO BE COLLECTED.
-How THE RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PARTICIPANTS.
Who provides consent for children under the age of 16?
-Only adults (18+) are capable of giving permission to take part in a study.
-Children under the age of 16 are CLASSIFIED AS MINORS and so PARENTS/LEGAL GUARDIANS of minors have to provide consent to allow their children to participate in the study.
It is not always possible to gain informed consent - What can be done when it is impossible for the researcher to ask the actual participants who will be taking part in the study?
-PRESUMPTIVE CONSENT —> Asking a group of people from the SAME TARGET POPULATION AS THE SAMPLE WHETHER THEY WOULD AGREE TO TAKE PART IN SUCH A STUDY.
-If they say yes, a researcher can presume that the sample would too.
What does the ‘Deception’ ethical guideline outline?
-Researchers SHOULD NOT WITHOLD ANY INFORMATION FROM PARTICIPANTS or ACTIVELY MISLEAD THEM ABOUT THE TRUE NATURE OF THE STUDY THEY ARE TO BE INVOLVED IN, EITHER TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO GIVE CONSENT OR TO GET MORE VALID RESULTS.
-Exceptions include when the deception is MINOR, deemed scientifically justified by an ethics committee and/or if participants are unlikely to object/show unease when the deception is revealed.
There are TWO different types of deception
