Understand ethical issues in psychological research and how to deal with…

The idea

Ethical guidelines protect participants in psychological research. Informed consent requires researchers to explain the study's aims and procedures so participants can agree to take part. If deception is necessary to prevent demand characteristics, researchers must deal with this by providing a full debrief afterwards. Confidentiality ensures participants' data is kept anonymous and secure. The right to withdraw means participants can leave the study at any time and have their data destroyed. Protection of participants ensures they are not exposed to physical or psychological harm greater than in everyday life. Researchers deal with these issues by using consent forms, debriefing, anonymising data, and conducting risk assessments.

What earns the marks

• Identify the ethical issue breached in a given scenario, such as a lack of informed consent.
• Explain how a researcher can deal with deception by using a comprehensive debrief.
• Describe how confidentiality is maintained by using participant numbers instead of names.
• Evaluate the balance between the need for deception and the protection of participants from psychological harm.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Confusing anonymity with confidentiality.

  Put it right: Anonymity means the researcher does not know the participant's identity, whereas confidentiality means the researcher knows it but keeps it secure and unpublished.

• Believing participants cannot be deceived under any circumstances.

  Put it right: Deception can be used if justified and if participants are fully debriefed afterwards.

• Thinking the right to withdraw only applies before the study begins.

  Put it right: Participants have the right to withdraw before, during, and after the study, including withdrawing their data.

Exam tips

• When evaluating a study, explicitly state which ethical guideline was broken and provide evidence from the scenario.
• Always link the method of dealing with an ethical issue back to the specific problem, such as using a debrief to resolve deception.
• Remember that protecting participants includes preventing both physical injury and psychological distress, such as embarrassment or anxiety.