Ethical Considerations
Can Do’s & Can’t Do’s with Participants
Ethics are considerations we need to take into account when conducting
research
British Psychological Society BPC set out guidelines that UK psychologists
are to follow detailing what behaviour is and is not acceptable when
dealing with pets.
Participants should leave the study the same as when they entered.
Cost Benefit of Ethical Considerations
Animals testing for medical purposes is an example of this
– Personal opinion - does the benefit of medical advances gained
(eg. Cures for cancer) outdo the costs of the harm done to animals
or not.
We sometimes have this conflict with the research we want to carry our in
psychology.
– To study natural behaviour we may have to deceive participants
about the true aim of our study or observe participants without
them knowing.
These are considerations you can use when evaluating research across
psychology - but make sure you always make it relevant to the question
you are answering.
The BPS
BPS code of ethics, which are guidelines psychologists have to follow
when conducting research
, Based around 4 main principles:
– Respect
– Competence
– Responsibility
– Integrity
If researches don’t abide by these guidelines then they may lose their job.
Guidelines are implemented by an ethics committee which weigh up the
cost-benefits to determine if the proposals are ethically acceptable.
Can Do Cant Do With Participants
Consent
Participants should know what they are getting in to before they take part
in a study
Gaining informed consent, participants need to know the aims of study,
the procedure (what will happen to them), their rights - including the right
to withdraw, and what their data will be used for
This means participants can make an informed decision as to whether to
take part, without feeling coerced or obliged.
Consent / Informed Consent
Telling participants all of this information, especially the aims, might
change their natural behaviour.
This renders some experiments useless, because we can’t accurately
measure what we need to.
In this instance we might have to use deception, give a false aim or not
give the full aims of the study. Participants still know they are taking part
in a study and agree. This is called CONSENT.
Can Do’s & Can’t Do’s with Participants
Ethics are considerations we need to take into account when conducting
research
British Psychological Society BPC set out guidelines that UK psychologists
are to follow detailing what behaviour is and is not acceptable when
dealing with pets.
Participants should leave the study the same as when they entered.
Cost Benefit of Ethical Considerations
Animals testing for medical purposes is an example of this
– Personal opinion - does the benefit of medical advances gained
(eg. Cures for cancer) outdo the costs of the harm done to animals
or not.
We sometimes have this conflict with the research we want to carry our in
psychology.
– To study natural behaviour we may have to deceive participants
about the true aim of our study or observe participants without
them knowing.
These are considerations you can use when evaluating research across
psychology - but make sure you always make it relevant to the question
you are answering.
The BPS
BPS code of ethics, which are guidelines psychologists have to follow
when conducting research
, Based around 4 main principles:
– Respect
– Competence
– Responsibility
– Integrity
If researches don’t abide by these guidelines then they may lose their job.
Guidelines are implemented by an ethics committee which weigh up the
cost-benefits to determine if the proposals are ethically acceptable.
Can Do Cant Do With Participants
Consent
Participants should know what they are getting in to before they take part
in a study
Gaining informed consent, participants need to know the aims of study,
the procedure (what will happen to them), their rights - including the right
to withdraw, and what their data will be used for
This means participants can make an informed decision as to whether to
take part, without feeling coerced or obliged.
Consent / Informed Consent
Telling participants all of this information, especially the aims, might
change their natural behaviour.
This renders some experiments useless, because we can’t accurately
measure what we need to.
In this instance we might have to use deception, give a false aim or not
give the full aims of the study. Participants still know they are taking part
in a study and agree. This is called CONSENT.
