Research: Ethical Considerations

Ethical considerations are crucial in psychological research to ensure the wellbeing and protection of participants.
The British Psychological Society (BPS) offers clear guidelines on what is considered ethical in research methodology.
Informed consent means those participating in research knowingly understand what they are agreeing to. It includes understanding the aim, methods, implications, and any potential risks.
Participant’s privacy should always be protected in research. Any information given must be kept confidential unless the participant has given explicit permission otherwise.
‘Do no harm’ is a primary rule in psychology. Participants must not experience any physical or emotional harm due to the research. If any risk exists, it must be minimised as much as possible.
The right to withdraw should be given to all participants within research. They can stop their participation at any time with no explanation necessary.
Deception should be avoided where possible in research. If it’s crucial to the research, participants should be debriefed honestly and fully about the study’s aims and procedures afterwards.
If participants are children or vulnerable adults, researchers must gain parental or guardian consent.
The potential benefits of the research should outweigh any possible risks or harm to participants. The risks carried by participants must be justifiable when compared with the knowledge that is to be gained.
When sharing research findings, psychologists must respect participant’s rights and dignity. They should aim to represent the participants accurately without causing harm.
A debrief should occur after the study where participants are given a full explanation of the aim, procedure, and why any deception was involved. It enables any issues raised by the study to be resolved.

Using these points, ensure you can define and explain each term or concept and apply them to potential scenarios. Also, consider how these ethical considerations might impact data collection and interpretation of results in psychology.