ETHICAL CONSIDERATION IS VERY IMPORTANT PART OF RESEARCH RELATED TO THE DIFFERENT FIELDS OF PSYCHOLOGY.

1. By:-
Vinod Kumar Gupta
M.A. 3rd Semester, 2011

2. oResearch is an art of scientific investigation through
using different methods.
oThe main aim of research is to find out the truth
which is hidden and which has not been discovered as
yet.

3. Find a
research idea
Convert the
idea into a
hypothesis
Define and
measure
variables
Identify
participants
or subjects
Select a
research
strategy
Select a
research
design
Conduct
the study
Analysis
of data
Report the
result
Refine or
reformulate
your research
idea

4. o Ethics are norms or rules for conducting
that distinguishes between acceptable
and unacceptable behavior.
o They are culturally generated and
socially sustained.

5. o Can harm human and animal subjects.
o Can cause distress.
o May cause inconvenience.
o Waste of time.
o Waste of resources/funds.
o Disrepute or litigation.

6. o Minimizes harm to:
• Participants/subjects
• Researcher
• Institution
• Sponsors/funding bodies
• Society

7. o BPS Principles are based on it’s latest
amendment of August 2009.
o While APA’s principles are based on it’s latest
amendment of June 2010.
o BPS uses the word “client” for both humans
and animals with whom the psychologist
interacts.
o Whereas, APA uses the word “participant” for
humans and “subject” for animals.
o BPS uses the word “should”, whereas APA
uses the word “must” in following the ethical
guidelines.

8.  Principles:
 BPS has only four principles:
1. Respect
2. Competence
3. Responsibility
4. Integrity

9.  While APA has five principles:
1. Beneficence & nonmaleficence
2. Fidelity & responsibility
3. Integrity
4. Justice
5. Respect for people’s rights and dignity

10. o In BPS, standards are described as they
correspond to principles.
o In APA, principles and standards are defined
separately.
 NUMBER OF STANDARDS:
o Totals of standards are 16 in BPS, but 10 in
APA.
o Standard subcategories are 90 in BPS, but 89 in
APA.

11. o In APA “Institutional Review Board” (IRB),
provides guidelines for human participants.
o There are 10 guidelines in APA, as compared to 7
guidelines in BPS which are based on their
respective principles and standards.
 DIFFERNCE IN TERMINOLOGY:
o BPS – The protection and welfare of participants.
o APA – No harm.
o BPS – Debriefing.
o APA – Providing participants with information.

12. o In BPS, Standing Advisory Committee on the
Welfare of Animals in Psychology (SACWAP) with
cooperation of Experimental Psychological Society
(EPS) provides guidelines for animals, while in APA
it is provided by Institutional Animal Care and Use
Committee (IACUC).
o BPS contains Animal Act – 1986 and Animal Welfare
Act – 2006, while APA has no such acts.

13. o Psychologists are likely to need to
make decision in difficult, changing
and unclear situations for which BPS
includes systematic guide for the
ethical decision making process but
APA does not.

14. o In BPS, code of conduct gives primary attention
to research.
o APA’s focus area are not limited to the research
but teaching, supervision of trainees,
counseling, development of assessment
instrument, program design, administration,
evaluation.

15. o BPS has no modifiers in the Ethics mode.
o APA uses some modifiers (e.g. reasonably,
appropriate, potentially) in some of ethics code
to guard against a set of rigid rules.

16. o BPS codes are developed by considering other
codes and appendices.
o While APA codes are self developed by a
vigorous series of improvements

17. o Guidelines on advertising the services offered
by psychologists is included in BPS, e.g.
‘visiting card’ in the advertisement; name
qualification; status; address; phone number
and consultation hours.
o APA has no guidelines for psychologists.