Ethical issues

Informed consent

Participants must be:
1. aware of aims of research
2. rights (e.g. right to withdraw)
3. data purpose

participants may act less natural due to demand characteristics

How to deal with this:
1. participants get consent letter/form with all relevant info
2. participants sign this
3. those under 16 get parental consent

presumptive consent: similar group to participants asked if study is acceptable → consent of participants “presumed”
retroactive consent: participants consenting in a debrief after the experiment
prior general consent: participants give consent to a multitude of studies - including deception

protection from harm

participants should not be placed in any more risk than private lives
physical harm
psychological harm (e.g. embarrassment, feeling inadequate, placed under stress/pressure)

Dealing with this:
1. participants reminded of right to withdraw
2. all of participants given debrief post-study (true aims of study, details not supplied during/prior to study - like experimental conditions)
3. participants told what data will be used for → right to withhold data as a result
4. reassure any participants concerned about their behaviour → can be provided counselling

deception

deliberately withholding information or misleading participants
lack of informed consent as a result
can be justified as it may not cause participant undue stress

Dealing with this:
1. participants reminded of right to withdraw
2. all of participants given debrief post-study (true aims of study, details not supplied during/prior to study - like experimental conditions)
3. participants told what data will be used for → right to withhold data as a result
4. reassure any participants concerned about their behaviour → can be provided counselling

privacy & confidentiality

right to privacy: control info about selves → extends to where study took place (e.g. institutions not named)
right to confidentiality: right (in law: Data Protection Act) to protect personal data

How to deal:
1. not recording personal details → maintain anonymity
2. using numbers/initials for participants when writing up investigation (case studies typically use initials - HM)
3. debrief - reminder of protected data (not shared with other researchers)

BPS code of conduct

BPS code of ethics - ethical guidelines
researchers duty to follow guidelines → may lose job if not
guidelines implemented by ethics committees in research institutions → use cost-benefit approach to determine whether research proposals are acceptable.