Psychology
Introducing key terms -
Ethics

Confidentiality — Third parties should not be able to trace information back to individual participants. This is usually achieved through providing anonymity e.g. using participant numbers not names.

Deception — Deliberately misleading or falsely informing participants about the nature of research.

Risk of stress, anxiety, humiliation or pain — Research could induce more than minimal pain through repetitive or prolonged testing. Invasive testing, such as the administration of drugs, or vigorous physical exercise, would not usually be encountered in everyday life, thus is unethical.

Risk to the participants’ values, beliefs, relationships, status or privacy — Research that is likely to face this type of risk focuses on socially sensitive topics (e.g. sexuality) and includes potentially sensitive data (e.g. confidential documents).

Valid Consent — Includes giving participants enough information (in a form they can understand) so that they can make an informed choice about whether they wish to participate.

Working with vulnerable individuals (including children) — Children under the age of 16, those lacking in mental capacity, people in care, people in custody (prison) or on probation, and people engaged in illegal activities, such as drug use, would be categorised in this way.

Working with animals — Research with non-human species is strictly controlled. Restrictions on type of animal, care, number of animals required etc. are all controlled by ethical guidelines and laws such as the Animals Act (1986).

Ways of dealing with ethical issues/Managing the risk posed by ethical issues — Methods such as ethical committees and guidelines.

Ethics committees — The board that is in place to ensure that proposed research meets the standards of the current ethical codes of conduct and guidelines.

Ethical guidelines— Provide a set of moral principles that guide research from its inception through to completion and publication of results.

Debriefing* — A method which aims to ensure participants are aware of the true nature of the study (overcoming any deception). It should return the participant back to their original state.