Ethical issues in psychology Focus on the important questions: Why are ethics important? What are...
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![Page 1: Ethical issues in psychology Focus on the important questions: Why are ethics important? What are the issues? What is and isn’t acceptable? How should.](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071806/56649db35503460f94aa2abb/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Ethical issues in psychology
• Focus on the important questions:• Why are ethics important?• What are the issues?• What is and isn’t acceptable?• How should we make ethical judgements?
• Avoid writing essays about how naughty Milgram & Zimbardo were
• Use the studies to illustrate your discussion of the issues
www.
psyc
hlot
ron.
org.
uk
![Page 2: Ethical issues in psychology Focus on the important questions: Why are ethics important? What are the issues? What is and isn’t acceptable? How should.](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071806/56649db35503460f94aa2abb/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Why are ethics important?
• A number of reasons including:• Moral obligation to society• Professional values (‘amelioration of
the human condition’)• Image of the discipline and profession• Practical reasons e.g. getting
participants
www.
psyc
hlot
ron.
org.
uk
![Page 3: Ethical issues in psychology Focus on the important questions: Why are ethics important? What are the issues? What is and isn’t acceptable? How should.](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071806/56649db35503460f94aa2abb/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
What are the issues?
• Research practices that threaten (directly or indirectly) the well-being of the participants e.g.:• Informed consent (lack of)• Deception• Risk of harm (physical/psychological)• Confidentiality & privacy (threats to)
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psyc
hlot
ron.
org.
uk
![Page 4: Ethical issues in psychology Focus on the important questions: Why are ethics important? What are the issues? What is and isn’t acceptable? How should.](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071806/56649db35503460f94aa2abb/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Ethical perspectives
• Deontological • The correctness of an action lies in itself,
not its consequences• E.g. lying is always wrong, even if it
produces a good outcome• Teleological
• The correctness of an action is determined by its intended consequences
• E.g. lying is good if it is done for the ‘right’ reasons (like protecting a person from harm)
www.
psyc
hlot
ron.
org.
uk
![Page 5: Ethical issues in psychology Focus on the important questions: Why are ethics important? What are the issues? What is and isn’t acceptable? How should.](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071806/56649db35503460f94aa2abb/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Ethical Perspectives
• Utilitarian• A form of teleological ethics• The moral correctness of an action is
determined by its consequences for society as a whole
• “The greatest good for the greatest number”
• Psychological researchers usually take a utilitarian view, but with certain absolute prohibitions
www.
psyc
hlot
ron.
org.
uk
![Page 6: Ethical issues in psychology Focus on the important questions: Why are ethics important? What are the issues? What is and isn’t acceptable? How should.](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071806/56649db35503460f94aa2abb/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Making ethical decisions
• Where ethical problems arise, a cost-benefit analysis is often applied, where:• Costs are the (potentially) negative
consequences of the research – usually for the PPs involved (NB: SSR)
• Benefits are the (potentially) positive consequences of the research for the PPs or (more usually) for society
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psyc
hlot
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org.
uk
![Page 7: Ethical issues in psychology Focus on the important questions: Why are ethics important? What are the issues? What is and isn’t acceptable? How should.](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071806/56649db35503460f94aa2abb/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Cost-benefit analysis
• Provides a framework for making ethical decisions
• Involves subjective judgements about costs and benefits
• Consequences cannot always be anticipated e.g. Zimbardo, Milgram
www.
psyc
hlot
ron.
org.
uk