Ethical Considerations

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
REASEARCH .
Ethical consideration is a significant issue in most experiments because they are often
intrusive (i.e., interfere with ordinary activity). Experimental treatments may involve putting
people in contrived
social settings, asking them to engage in specific activities, or manipulating their feelings or
behaviours. While doing this, we listen to what they say, observe their actions, and record
responses. Ethical requirements limit the amount and type of allowable intrusion. We must
never place research participants in physical danger, and we must take precautions when we
put them in embarrassing or anxiety- inducing situations. It is essential to continuously
monitor and control experimental events to ensure safe and ethical study.
Sometimes we might use deception in social experiments by temporarily misleading partici-

pants. Such dishonesty might be acceptable but only if there is no other way to achieve a
specific research goal. Even for a highly worthy goal, we only use deception with restrictions.
The amount and type of deception cannot exceed the minimum needed for the specific
purpose. In addition, we must always debrief research participants as soon as possible, telling
them that they had been temporarily deceived and explaining the real situation to them.
1) INFORMED CONSENT-
When done properly, the consent process ensures that individuals are voluntarily
participating in the research with full knowledge of relevant risks and benefits.
"The federal standard is that the person must have all of the information that might
reasonably influence their willingness to participate in a form that they can understand and
comprehend
APA's Ethics Code mandates that psychologists who conduct research should inform
participants about:
 The purpose of the research, expected duration and procedures.
 Participants' rights to decline to participate and to withdraw from the research once it has
started, as well as the anticipated consequences of doing so.
 Reasonably foreseeable factors that may influence their willingness to participate, such as
potential risks, discomfort or adverse effects.
 Any prospective research benefits.
 Limits of confidentiality, such as data coding, disposal, sharing and archiving, and when
confidentiality must be broken.
 Incentives for participation.
Experts also suggest covering the likelihood, magnitude and duration of harm or benefit of
participation, emphasizing that their involvement is voluntary and discussing treatment
alternatives, if relevant to the research.
2) Voluntary participation-
Voluntary participation means that people participate in the evaluation free from coercion.
Participants are free to withdraw their participation at any time without negatively impacting
on their involvement in future services or the current program2 and relationships with any of
the researchers or research bodies involved. It can be challenging to encourage high risk
youth to become engaged in a program and it is therefore difficult when participants choose
not to continue in a program. It is the right of participants to leave a program of this nature at
any time, therefore no pressure should be placed on those who choose not to continue.
Explanations are also not required.
3) Confidentiality-
Confidentiality means that any identifying information is not made available to, or accessed
by anyone but the program coordinator. Confidentiality also ensures such identifying
information is excluded from any reports or published documents. Given that there are often
small numbers in peer based programs, it is very important to consider how reports are
worded to ensure that there is no opportunity for people to be identified even though names
are not used.
4) Debriefing-
Once the study is over, the participants are provided with necessary information to complete
their understanding of research. This is particularly important if deception has been used in
the study. Debriefing ensures that participants leave the study in the same physical and
mental state as when they 1make efforts to remove any anxiety or other adverse effects that
participants may have felt as a result of being deceived in the course of the study.
5) Sharing the Results of the Study-

In psychological research, after collecting information from the participants, we come back to
our places of work, analyse the data and draw conclusions. It is obligatory for the researcher
to go back to the participants and share the results of the study with them. When you go for
data collection, the participants develop certain expectations from you. One of the
expectations is that you will tell them about their behaviour that you have investigated in the
study. As a researcher, it is our moral duty to go back to the participants. This exercise has
two advantages. One, you fulfil the expectations of the participants. Second, the participants
may tell you their opinion about the results, which sometimes may help you develop new
insights.
6) Research design-
The qualitative method is utilized to explain, clarify and elaborate the meanings of different
aspects of the human life experience. Therefore, researchers can interpret people’s
experiences because they are involved in human activities. The principle of ‘no harm’ to
participants ought to be considered by researchers, who should be aware of the potential
harms that might be inflicted upon study subjects.
3) Justice -
Justice is a complex ethical principle and it entails fairness, equality and impartiality; in
other words, it is the obligation to be fair to all people. Distributive justice means that
individuals have the right to be treated equally regardless of ethnic group, gender, culture,
age, marital status, medical diagnosis, social standing, economic level, political or religious
beliefs, or any other individual characteristics. Everyone should be treated in the same way.
4) Only assess relevant components-
Only assess those components that are of relevance to the program/initiative being conducted.
High risk populations are sometimes being used as guinea pigs or a captive audience to ask
all sorts of questions in evaluations that are of interest to groups conducting the
program/initiative but not relevant to the program nor will be to the group who are involved
in the program. It is important to keep evaluations as simple as possible and to remain
focused on the intention of the evaluation and what the data gathered will be used for.
5) Beneficence/ Do not harm-

The ethical principle of beneficence refers to the Hippocratic "be of benefit, do not harm".
beneficence relates to the benefits of the research, while non-malificence relates to the
potential risks of participation". Nonmalificence requires a high level of sensitivity from the
researcher about what constitutes "harm".
Harm can be both physical and/or psychological and therefore can be in the form of: stress,
pain, anxiety, diminishing self-esteem or an invasion of privacy.It is imperative that the
evaluation process does not in any way harm (unintended or otherwise) participants.
BY:
KHUSHII RAJ
(APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY 1ST YEAR.)
2019340

Ethical Considerations

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ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN

Sometimes we might use deception in social experiments by temporarily misleading partici-

5) Sharing the Results of the Study-

5) Beneficence/ Do not harm-

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