A Level Psychology - Ethics

- valuing the dignity and worth of all individuals.
- includes awareness of how psychologists can influence people and appear to have authority, and of people's right to privacy.
- includes standards: informed consent, right to withdraw and confidentiality.

Informed consent - researcher should inform participants of all aspects of the study, and the participants should decide whether they want to consent to taking part in the study or not. If under 16, must get consent from from parents/teachers.
How to deal with this issue: all participants must sign a consent form including all information.

Right to withdraw - researcher should tell participants that they have the right to withdraw from the study at any point if they do not wish to continue. This also includes not using participants' data once the study is over if they do not want to take part anymore.
How to deal with this issue: participants should be reminded of their right to withdraw in the consent form, during standardised instructions and after the study in the debrief.

Confidentiality - data collected should be kept confidential unless participant agrees otherwise.
How to deal with this issue: use a pseudonym (fake name) or number participants/use initials.

- valuing continual development as a psychologist.
-maintaining high standards of work.
- includes functioning optimally and within the limits of one's own knowledge, skill, training, education and experience.

- valuing the responsibilities of being a psychologist - to clients, the public, and the profession and science of psychology.
- includes the avoidance of harm and prevention of misuse and abuse of one's contribution to society.
- includes: protection of participants and the debrief.

Protection of participants - prevention of mental or physical harm to participants during the study.
How to deal with this issue: ensure the study is no more harmful than normal life.

Debrief - the researcher should provide participants with any necessary information about the research after they have taken part in the study. Gives participants chance to withdraw their data if they wish.
How to deal with this issue: researcher must tell participants the purpose of the study, how results are used, etc. Provide contact information incase participants have any further questions or wish to withdraw their data. Offer further support if appropriate.

- valuing honesty, accuracy, clarity and fairness in interactions and promoting these as a psychologist.
- includes standard: deception.

Deception - researchers must not mislead or withhold information from participants. Researchers have a duty to be honest, however some studies are only successful if participants do not know all information about the study and don't know how it has been set up.
How to deal with this issue: tell participants as much information as possible, but not everything about the study until the debrief as it may lead to demand characteristics.

Presumptive consent - asking similar but different people whether they would take part in the study based on information they are given. If yes, it is assumed that the real participants will take part.

Prior general consent - asking people who volunteer to take part in research general questions before they are used. E.g. 'would you mind taking part in a study that caused you stress?' - if they don't mind, they may be chosen to take part in the study.

Retrospective consent - giving participants a full debriefing after the study and offering the opportunity to withdraw their data.