Ethics and Observational Studies

What is the role of the British Psychological Society’s code of ethics?

Its role is to set and uphold high standards of professional conduct, protect the public, and guide psychologists in making reasoned ethical decisions

What are the 5 rules of the BPS ethical guidelines?

• Informed consent

• Confidentiality

• Privacy

• Right to withdraw

• Protection from harm

Informed consent

Participants must be given comprhensive information concerning the nature and purpose of the research and their role in it, in order that they can make an informed decision about whether to participate.

How is informed consent obtained for participants below the age of 16?

Through parental consent

Example of no informed consent

• Milgram’s obedience study because the participants were deceived into thinking that they were to take part in a study on the effect of punishment on learning

Confidentiality

Participants (personal) data should not be disclosed or available to anyone outside the research process

How should research data be published for confidentiality to be maintained?

• The published research should not give any indications as to who the participants were and details as to the location of research should be kept as minimal as possible

Privacy

Any invasion of an individuals private space/environment which could be said to go beyond the boundaries of what is acceptable in terms of the topic being investigated

Right to withdraw

Participants should be allowed to stop participating in a study if they feel uncomfortable in any way, even after the procedure is over

• This shouod be included on the informed consent form

What happens to the data of a person who has withdrawn from a study/research?

It is destroyed, along with any personal details taken from them

Example of a study not having the right to withdraw

Zimbardo’s prison study, where Zimbardo himself had the role of prison governor and used his position to persuade the participants to stay in the study

Protection from harm

During a study, participants should not experience negative physical, emotional or psychological harm beyond what they would experience in their daily lives

What is an ethical issue concerning informed consent?

• Sometimes, it is necessary to deceive participants to ensure that their behaviour remains natural

Deception

When participants are informed of a false aim/task or when the researcher introduces fake elements to the procedure

How is the ethical issue of deception solved? (2)

• Retrospective consent should be gained after the experiment has taken place, including asking participants if they are still interested in their data being used

• The researcher can also gain prior general consent which allows participants to agree to be deceived but not know how they will be deceived

What is an issue concerning protection from harm?

It may be difficult to predict the psychological or physical harm a study could cause a participant

How to overcome issues cncerning protection from harm? (2)

• The experient should be stopped if harm is suspected

• The participant should be offered counselling following the study if needed

Anonymity

Ensuring that participants’ identities are not revealed

Issue concerning provacy and confidentiality

Researchers conduct studies to ppublush findings therefore results of participants canot remain private

How to overcome the issue concerning privacy and confidentiality