This assignment will analyze three issues in psychology, ethical issues, the right to withdraw, and the protection of participants will be addressed. Examples will be given throughout along with reasons to why ethical guidelines are in place, gaining an understanding of the science of morals and rules of behavior in all professional activity.
Ethical guidelines exist and are a required code of conduct that is needed to be maintained and present through professionals’ actions within their working environment, whilst working with participants or patients(ref). These codes are put in place as guidelines for any working professional such as psychologists, students, or any member of the BPS. Moral judgments are learned and at the forefront through lack of bias, judgment, and prejudice; they must be based on rational principles which serve as a point of reference through the process of decision-making (ref). It is the duty of any professional or trained psychologist to educate and train new members entering their specific profession with the skills and knowledge needed to successfully maintain their role. Ethical guidelines are to be followed and adopted through strict codes of conduct, and ethical and moral obligations throughout their working life (ref).
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The first ethical issue that will be addressed is Informed consent, an informed choice whereby the participant knows what is required of them, and all relevant facts must be given. To give informed consent the individual must have the full capacity of their faculties and be over the age of 16(ref). The use of research involves the collection of data on sensitive topics such as identity or sexuality for example, through the use of video, audio recording, questionnaires, and interviews that can be processed by a computer (ref). There are Procedures that need to be followed relating to the nature of the collected data and their intended use (ref). In cases where an individual form a decision without all the necessary information being provided, serious ethical issues arise(ref). However, there are incidents where deception can be justified, through the purpose of research, such as the Milgram experiment (1963) whereby Milgram examined justifications for acts of genocide, acts of killing, and total destruction of another nation or ethnic group (ref). Those who were accused in world war II, and Nuremberg war criminal trials based their defense on obedience by following orders from their superiors in an attempt to justify their actions with legal homicide(ref). Milgram selected uneducated male participants to take part in a study at Yale University and other run-down locations to see if the location had any impact on the participant's decision-making within the experiment (ref). on arrival the participant in the study was introduced and paired with another person the aim was to see who would be the teacher and who would be the learner, the teacher’s role was to give an electric shock during the study if an incorrect answer was given by the learner. Straws were used to decide who was to be the teacher and who would be the learner, the draw was fixed so that the participant was always the teacher, and the learner was one of Milgram’s associates pretending to be a participant (ref). The reason behind the research was to see how far an ordinary person would go in obeying instructions if it involved harming another person. Milgram was looking for a covert response from the participant, a response that cannot be seen by other people. It is cognitive processing, thinking, and reflecting by constructing an answer to a problem in one’s mind (ref).
The second ethical issue that will be addressed is the right to withdraw. The right to withdraw is a concept in clinical research ethics whereby, the participant in the clinical trial has the right to withdraw at any point without explanation(ref). the right to withdraw protects participants against powerlessness and vulnerability once the research has begun, irrespective of whether or not payment has been offered or made (ref). once a person has withdrawn their consent from the research any resources, or data should be destroyed. Within the Milgram experiment the participant wanted to stop the experiment but was continually prompted to continue. The right to withdraw was not followed within this research. Milgram argued that they were justified due to the nature of the study being about obedience so orders were necessary and, in this instance, justified (ref).
Lastly, the protection of participants focuses on the vulnerability of individuals, protecting the dignity, rights, and welfare of the person taking part, known as safeguarding REF. It is the responsibility of the professional towards his or her patient to ensure individuals are protected from physical or mental health risks due to undue stress through participation(ref). During studies, people taking part must not be exposed to risks that are greater than those they encounter in their everyday lives. If harm or unusual discomfort were to take place in the individual’s future life as a result of taking part in the experiment, the lead researcher must, prior to the person's participation obtain the informed consent of independent advisors, the research ethics committee, and the informed consent of the prospective participant (ref). Before any individual chooses to take part in any study, they must be informed of procedures for contacting the leading researcher and the research Governance office, within a reasonable time, if any stress or harm is experienced after the research is carried out (ref). Research that is based on clinical trials can only take place whereby the risks and inconveniences to both the trial and patients prove to be a benefit for them and future patients (ref). in some cases, participants support the study if they were terminally ill for example (ref). In the case of non-invasive research methods such as interviews and questionnaires, that require information on sensitive and confidential information or intrude on personal privacy that is likely to cause any unnecessary stress or harm rests with the lead researcher (ref). leading back to the Milgram experiment participants lacked protection through exposure to extreme stress that had the potential to cause psychological harm (ref). visible signs of tension were seen by participants through Milgram’s research, and many pleaded to stop the experiment (ref).
In conclusion, ethical guidelines are in place for any professional to follow through the use of morals and values within their working environment. Ethical codes are principles based on conduct within professions that work with individuals who may be vulnerable or simply dealing with sensitive information. The responsibility and behavior of a professional are paramount for these ethical guidelines to be followed with a successful end result.
Reference
- American Psychological Association (2013) Ethical principles of Psychologists and code of conduct. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
- https://emconolly.wordpress.com/2011.10/21/ethics-inpsycholgy-research-deception/
- https:www.psysci.co/ethical-issues-in-psychology/ Date revised 09.06.19.
- https:www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/right-to-withdraw/Date revised 09.06.19.
- https://www.csbsju.edu/psychology/student-resources/issues/ Date revised 09.06.19
- https:www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3546509/
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