As human participants are used in psychological studies rather than chemical e.t.c. in natural science, codes of conduct have been developed to protect the participants. This was in line with the human rights movement that picked up pace at the time. These guidelines are not compulsory but should be followed wherever possible. Most countries where psychology is studied have their own guidelines. Here is a summary of the British Psychological Associations:
1 Deception- participants should be told the exact nature of the study and what they will be expected to do in the study.
2. Informed Consent- all participants should give permission to participate in the study and should know and be able to understand exactly what the study involves.
3. Protection of participants from psychological harm- participants should not be exposed to any psychological risks that they would not normally be exposed to on a day to day basis.
4. Right to withdraw- all participants should be able to pull themselves and their data out of a study at any time.
5. Confidentiality- No names or personal details that might lead to identifying a person should be published or made available.
6. Debriefing- after the study the researcher should fully explain the nature of the study, especially if any deception has been used. Also, the researcher should check that the participant is not experiencing any ill effects from the research.
7. Observational research- research that involves observing the behaviour of participants should respect the privacy of the participants. Unless consent is given , participants should only be observed in places where they would normally expect to be observed by strangers.
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