Introduction to safe guarding in psychology The aim of this lesson is to introduce you to the meaning of ‘ethics’ in psychology. By the end of this session you will be able to identify the 5 main ethical guidelines as laid down by the BPS.You will also be able to identify the underlying principles.

Ethical issues in psychology What do we mean by ethics? Why are ethics important? What are the issues? What is and isn’t acceptable? How should we make ethical judgements?

Why are ethics important? Moral obligation to society Image of the discipline and profession Professional values Practical reasons e.g. getting participants

Code of Human Research Ethics Respect for the autonomy, privacy and dignity of individuals and communities. Social Responsibility. Scientific Integrity. Maximising benefit and minimising harm. Up to date ethical guidelines

We must prevent research practices that threaten (directly or indirectly) the well- being of the participants. To do that we must ensure that the following ethical guidelines are adhered to

DDRIPP! We must avoid Deception – if we have to then there must be a thorough debrief Ppts must be given the right to withdraw from the research either during, or have their data removed afterwards PPts must give Informed Consent PPts must be protected from harm = physical or psychological PPts have a right to privacy (confidentiality)

Making ethical decisions Where ethical issues arise a cost-benefit analysis is often applied. Costs are the (potentially) negative consequences of the research – usually for the PPs involved Benefits are the (potentially) positive consequences of the research for the PPs or for society Inevitably any decision involves subjective judgements about costs and benefits.

This the Bateson Cube It is a way of working out the costs and benefits of going ahead with animal research

What do you need to know ? You need to know what the ethical guidelines are: DDRIPP You need to know the principles on which they are based: RRIM You need to know the Role of the BPS code of ethics You need to know how to deal with/overcome ethical issues in your own research