Ethical Considerations » Dealing with Ethical Issues

What you'll learn this session

Study time: 30 minutes

How psychologists deal with ethical issues in research
The role of ethics committees and ethical guidelines
Ways to obtain informed consent properly
How to protect participants from harm
Methods for maintaining confidentiality and anonymity
Balancing ethical considerations with research validity

Dealing with Ethical Issues in Psychology Research

When psychologists conduct research with human participants, they must carefully consider how to protect people's rights and welfare. Ethical issues can arise at any stage of research and psychologists need strategies to address these concerns while still gathering valuable data.

Key Definitions:

Ethics committees: Groups that review research proposals to ensure they meet ethical standards.
Ethical guidelines: Rules and principles that guide researchers in conducting ethical studies.
Informed consent: Ensuring participants understand what they're agreeing to before participating.
Confidentiality: Keeping participants' identifiable information private.
Anonymity: Collecting data in a way that doesn't identify individual participants.

📝 Ethics Committees

Ethics committees (sometimes called Institutional Review Boards or IRBs) review research proposals before studies begin. They check that:

Participants will be properly protected
Benefits of the research outweigh potential risks
Researchers have plans to deal with ethical issues
The study complies with ethical guidelines

Researchers must submit detailed plans and can only proceed after approval.

📚 Ethical Guidelines

Professional bodies publish guidelines that researchers must follow:

BPS (British Psychological Society) - UK guidelines
APA (American Psychological Association) - US guidelines

These guidelines cover issues like consent, deception, confidentiality and debriefing. They help researchers plan ethical studies.

Obtaining Proper Informed Consent

One of the most important ways to deal with ethical issues is to ensure participants give informed consent before taking part in research.

Elements of Informed Consent

Researchers must provide participants with:

💬 Clear Information

Explain the purpose of the study, what participants will do, how long it will take and any potential risks or discomforts.

👍 Voluntary Participation

Make it clear that participation is voluntary and they can withdraw at any time without penalty.

📄 Written Consent

Have participants sign a form showing they understand and agree to take part. Keep these forms secure.

Special Considerations for Consent

Sometimes obtaining standard informed consent is challenging:

👫 Vulnerable Participants

When working with children, people with learning disabilities, or other vulnerable groups:

Get consent from parents/guardians for children under 16
Still seek the child's agreement (assent)
Use simplified language and visual aids if needed
Consider if the participant can truly understand what they're agreeing to

🕵 Deception Studies

If a study requires deception (not telling participants the true purpose):

Consider if deception is absolutely necessary
Get permission from ethics committees first
Provide thorough debriefing afterwards
Give participants the option to withdraw their data after learning the truth

Protecting Participants from Harm

Researchers must take steps to ensure participants aren't harmed physically or psychologically by taking part in research.

Types of Potential Harm

💔 Psychological Harm

Research might cause stress, anxiety, embarrassment, or other negative emotions. To prevent this:

Screen participants to identify those at risk
Avoid unnecessarily distressing procedures
Monitor participants during the study
Have support resources available
Conduct thorough debriefing

🏥 Practical Support

Researchers can provide:

Contact details for support services
Follow-up sessions if needed
Clear information about what to do if they feel upset later
Opportunities to discuss concerns with the researcher

Case Study Focus: Milgram's Obedience Study

Stanley Milgram's famous obedience study (1963) raised serious ethical concerns because participants experienced extreme stress when they believed they were giving electric shocks to another person. Modern versions of this study use several ethical safeguards:

More detailed pre-screening of participants
Clear right to withdraw emphasized multiple times
Extensive debriefing with trained staff
Follow-up contacts to ensure no lasting distress
Partial disclosure rather than complete deception

This shows how researchers can balance gathering important data with protecting participants.

Maintaining Confidentiality and Anonymity

Protecting participants' privacy is crucial in psychological research.

🔒 Confidentiality Procedures

To keep data confidential, researchers can:

Store consent forms separately from data
Keep all data in locked cabinets or password-protected files
Limit who has access to the raw data
Never discuss identifiable information about participants
Have clear data protection procedures

👤 Anonymising Data

To make data anonymous, researchers can:

Use participant codes instead of names
Remove identifying details from transcripts
Present group results rather than individual cases
Blur faces in photographs or videos
Change minor details in case studies

Limits to Confidentiality

Researchers must explain situations where confidentiality might need to be broken:

If a participant reveals they are at risk of harm
If they disclose illegal activities
If there are safeguarding concerns about vulnerable people

These limits should be explained during the consent process.

Balancing Ethics and Research Validity

Sometimes strict ethical procedures can affect the quality of research data. Researchers need strategies to conduct ethical studies that still produce valid results.

💡 Alternative Methods

Instead of potentially harmful procedures, researchers can use:

Role-play scenarios
Computer simulations
Case studies of real events
Naturalistic observation

🔍 Partial Disclosure

Rather than full deception, researchers might:

Give a general rather than specific purpose
Withhold some details until after the study
Be vague about hypotheses

📝 Thorough Debriefing

After studies with any deception:

Explain the true purpose
Justify why deception was needed
Allow questions and discussion
Offer to share results later

Summary: Best Practices for Ethical Research

To deal effectively with ethical issues, psychologists should:

Plan ahead - Consider ethical issues at the design stage
Seek review - Get feedback from ethics committees and colleagues
Inform participants - Provide clear information and get proper consent
Minimize risks - Use the least harmful methods possible
Protect privacy - Keep data secure and confidential
Debrief thoroughly - Explain the study and check for distress
Follow up - Be available to participants after the study ends

Real-World Application: Online Research Ethics

Modern psychological research often happens online, creating new ethical challenges:

Data security: Using encrypted connections and secure servers
Identity verification: Ensuring participants meet age requirements
Consent processes: Creating clear digital consent forms
Withdrawal options: Making it easy to exit online studies
Remote debriefing: Providing thorough information after participation

These adaptations show how ethical principles can be applied to new research contexts.

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