ETHICS IN PSYCHOLOGY

• Ethics Committee• Role of the Researcher• Participant’s Rights

WHY DO WE NEED A CODE OF ETHICS IN RESEARCH?

Protect Human (& Animal) Rights and is intended to cover ALL research and professional practice involving humans (and animals) not limited to Psychology.

To guide scientists and practitioners about which procedures or behaviours are appropriate (‘right’) or inappropriate (‘wrong’)

Ethical guidelines are issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and made a legal requirement by the Australian government through an Act of Parliament in 1992

CODE OF ETHICS

ETHICS COMMITTEE

A group of medical and non-medical professionals who review research proposals and ensure that participants’ welfare are considered in the conduct of the research.

Ethics Committee

Potential Benefits to SOCIETY

Potential Risks to PARTICIPANTS

CODE OF ETHICS

ROLE OF THE RESEARCHER

It is the responsibility of the researcher to protect participants’ physical and psychological welfare.

At no time should there be cause for severe distress to participants. In cases where this happens, the researcher must immediately stop the experiment and provide the participant access to counselling.

The experimenter must act professionally and with integrity at all times, being fair and just to all participants.

CODE OF ETHICS

PARTICIPANTS’ RIGHTS:

Confidentiality and AnonymityObservations, identity of participants, individual

findings are kept confidential.ENSURES TRUTHFUL RESPONSES, PROTECTS

PARTICIPANTS FROM PUBLIC JUDGEMENT, MINIMIZES BIAS IN INTERPRETATION

Voluntary participationParticipants are not pressured to join the study.PROTECTS RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF CHOICE,

PREVENTS USE OF STATUS AND POWER TO COERCE INDIVIDUALS

CODE OF ETHICSPARTICIPANT’S RIGHTS

Withdrawal rights of participants

Participants can withdraw any time without negative consequences.

PROTECTS PARTICIPANTS FROM RESEARCHER BACKLASH, ENSURES FREEDOM OF CHOICE

Parental and/or individual Informed consentParticipants are appropriately informed of the type

of study, the reasons for the research, observations to be made before consent is given. Consent is documented.

ENSURES FREEDOM OF INFORMATION, PREVENTS MANIPULATION BY WITHHOLDING INFORMATION, ALLOWS MAKING OF INFORMED DECISIONS

CODE OF ETHICS

Deception Used in some cases where giving participants

information about the experiment beforehand might influence their behaviour during the study and affect the accuracy of results.

Debriefing – Where participants are informed of the true nature of the study once the experiment has ended.

Researcher must correct any mistaken attitudes or beliefs held by the participants and explain all deception related to the conducting of the experiment.

Experimenter must provide information/support about counselling services to treat possible distress due to participation in the study.

Participants are given access to information about the study.