Biological Psychology: The Ethical Code Of Conduct

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What is this ethical “Code of Conduct” that we should abide by? (Code of Ethics and Conduct, 2009) Is it merely the red tape that exists so that the governing bodies can absolve themselves from blame? After all, some of the most contributing discoveries in Psychology’s history did not consider a fraction of the ethics that we have to consider now. Is it truly necessary to consider ethics in every experiment?
If an experiment in part is “a scientific procedure undertaken to make a discovery” (Oxford Dictionary, 2004), then to find answers to these questions it is not just important that we learn from the design or outcomes of our research methods; we should also consider what we can inadvertently learn from the impact that they may have on participants …show more content…

Therefore, the use of human participants in Psychology’s empirical research methods is essential to the scientific discoveries within the field. Carrying out this research means possibly subjecting participants to manipulated environments that may directly or indirectly impact their well-being. This is where ethics becomes an important cornerstone of Psychological Research …show more content…

That is to say that if “we speak of people being ethical or moral to mean good or right” or “unethical and immoral to mean wrong or bad” (Ethics: Theory and Practice, 2012), then Ethics as a discipline is founded on what is accepted as “good” or “right”. Thus, The BPS developed four core ‘first principles’ for Psychologists to consider foremost within their methodologies:-

1. “Respect for the Autonomy and Dignity of Persons.”
2. “Scientific

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